FROSTBURG — The Mountain Ridge Lady Miners, with a second straight undefeated regular season and the program’s first region championship, repeated as the Cumberland Times-News Area girls soccer champions.
It was another dominating season for the Lady Miners and coach Martha Mauzy, who was recently named the Pepsi-Cola Girls Soccer Coach of the Year. She will receive the award at the 62nd annual Dapper Dan Awards Banquet on Sunday at the Ali Ghan Shrine Club. The dinner begins at 4 p.m., followed by the awards program at 5.
Mauzy will also receive the the team’s Area championship trophy, which is sponsored annually by J-R’s Custom Screenprinting and Embroidery of Frostburg.
It was the second straight perfect regular season for the Lady Miners, who have piled up a 32-2 overall record during their back-to-back Area championship seasons. They are also two-time defending Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference champs.
This year Mountain Ridge went 14-0 during the regular year and finished 17-1, the only loss coming to eventual Class 1A state champion Loch Raven, 2-1, in the state semifinals.
Repeating as Area champions was one of the team’s pre-season goals, especially with 11 returning seniors and six returning starters from a year ago.
“Right away they had planned to do it again,’’ Mauzy said. “The ultimate goal was to get to the state tournament and to win the state championship. Of course, to get to the state tournament you have to win the region first. Winning it, finally, was a big goal, too.”
A 3-1 win over Boonsboro gave the Miners their first region championship. Mountain Ridge and Northern, in 2007, are the only teams from Allegany and Garrett counties to play in a state tournament.
The Lady Miners dominated the regular season, scoring 68 goals and allowing just seven in 14 games. There were 10 shutouts and only two one-goal games — 3-2 and 4-3 wins over No. 2 Northern.
The impressive play continued into the playoffs, with Mountain Ridge outscoring its three opponents 14-3 in winning the region crown.
“The kids didn’t hesitate, and they didn’t miss a beat as far as wanting and thinking they could have another undefeated regular season,’’ said Mauzy, whose team finished with 83 goals scored against only 12 allowed in the 18 games.
“I have to say this was the best team I’ve ever had,’’ Mauzy said. “They went further than any other team we’ve had, and they probably jelled together better than any team we’ve ever had.
“It was a very unselfish team ... a team of unselfish, hard-working players. Every day they worked so hard on their skills to make themselves better players and a better team.”
Player of the Year Stephanie Fazenbaker and two-time Defensive Player of the Year Quincy Hegeman are juniors and among nine underclassmen returning next year.
The defense finished with an area record 11 shutouts, including eight in a 10-game span to close the regular season. Goalkeeper Heather Shipe led the area in save percentage at .898 (89 saves, 10 goals allowed), and tied the single-season area record with 10 of the shutouts.
Offensively, Fazenbaker finished third in the area with 29 goals, 16 assists and a 4.11 scoring average. Four others were among the top 20 — Hegeman (11 goals, 9 assists); Kayla DeVore (11 goals, 1 assist); Kristin Knotts (5 goals, 7 assists), and Shyler Phillips (8 goals, 4 assists).
Fazenbaker, Hegeman, Shipe, Janelle Walbert and Shyler Phillips were voted to the All-Area first team, released in today’s Sports Magazine.
“This was a very enjoyable group of kids to work with. But really, I can’t think of any team we haven’t enjoyed working with,’’ said Mauzy, whose staff included assistants George Bishields, Gene Lescallette, John Pratt, Steve Amann and Jay Walbert. Mauzy has a 119-29-9 record over 10 years, including 42-7-2 at Mountain Ridge the last three. “We’re very fortunate to have players who are also very good in the classroom. A large percentage of our players are honor roll students. It makes a difference.”
The Frostburg school, which opened three years ago, has won five Area soccer championships — two by the girls and three by the boys.
For Dapper Dan Banquet ticket information, call The Original Sports Shoppe at (301) 722-5490.
Mike Mathews is a Cumberland Times-News sportswriter. Contact Mike Mathews at mmathews@times-news.com.
Girls Soccer
Mountain Ridge booters repeat as Area champs
- Girls Soccer
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High-scoring Sentinels lead way on All-City team
Mariah James, who had a league-leading five assists and finished second in the league in scoring, was joined by seven other standouts in filling out the All-City girls soccer team, chosen by head coaches.
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Fazenbaker voted player of year
Stephanie Fazenbaker, whose record-breaking year led Mountain Ridge to a record-setting season, was voted the Cumberland Times-News High School Girls Soccer Player of the Year for the second year in a row by area head coaches.
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Oakdale beats MR girls
The Mountain Ridge girls had their bid to finish unbeaten with that elusive first state championship end with a tough 2-1 loss on penalty kicks to Oakdale in the Maryland Class 1A finals on Saturday afternoon at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) in Retrievers Stadium.
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Miners hoping to strike gold today at UMBC
CATONSVILLE — The Mountain Ridge soccer teams have seen a lot of each other throughout the playoffs.
There have been three home doubleheaders in the regional playoffs, and they both played a week ago in the state semifinals in Anne Arundel County. -
Lady Miners tie own record, repeat as West Region champs
The Mountain Ridge girls tied their own area record late last night at Miners Stadium, and they’d like nothing better than to break it this weekend.
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MR beats Boonsboro
Nothing seems to be faze the Mountain Ridge girls soccer team.
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Rams win playoff tuneup
CUMBERLAND — Claire Wilkinson scored three goals and Sophie Schwab had the other two as third-ranked Southern blanked Allegany, 5-0, in the high school girls soccer regular-season finale for both teams Wednesday at Greenway Avenue Stadium.
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Welker sparks Frankfort past Berkeley Springs
Bria Welker scored the first and final goals of Frankfort’s 3-1 win over Berkeley Springs on Saturday, pushing the fifth-ranked Falcons to a season-best two games above .500.
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Mountain Ridge blasts BW
Top-ranked Mountain Ridge scored four goals in the first half and erased any doubt with a seven-goal second half as the Miners dominated Bishop Walsh 11-1 Thursday evening at Miners Stadium.
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Miners win battle of unbeatens
Stephanie Fazenbaker scored three goals, assisted on a fourth and Mountain Ridge jumped on Northern early and won a battle of unbeatens, 5-1, Thursday in high school girls soccer.
- More Girls Soccer Headlines
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High-scoring Sentinels lead way on All-City team


