Twice As Nice: Falcon Girls Soccer Repeats As State Champs

Severna Park’s girls soccer season has been a lot of knowing exactly what they needed: long stretches of settling into the game, and then seizing the moment at the right time to chalk up another win and keep the season rolling along.

On the final night of their season, under the bright lights at Loyola University and on the big stage of the state championship game, the Falcons knew it was time to flip the script.

Two goals in the game’s first 10 minutes gave Severna Park one proverbial hand on the championship trophy, and the defending champs were never going to let it slip away as they delivered a dominant performance to defeat Towson 4-0 and repeat as the queens of Maryland 3A soccer.

Erin Hussey scored seven minutes in and Abby Cover netted from the penalty spot two minutes later to send the Falcons on their way. Maria Bragg added two second-half goals to provide the final margin as Severna Park won the state championship for the eighth time in program history.

Towson started out more brightly, looking to attack from the opening kick. But Cover, whose overtime goal won the semifinal matchup against Chesapeake, intercepted a pass on the Severna Park 18-yard line, played a quick one-two and found Hussey streaking into wide open space in on the keeper, and the forward made no mistake with her shot.

“From the start of the game in our huddle, we said, ‘Let’s get one right from the start, get one really early just to set the tone,’” Hussey said. “They were in our defensive side for a while, Abby got the ball, and I screamed (for the ball). I saw the open goal, I saw two girls crashing, and I had to just shoot it.”

Moments later, Ava Scott — scorer of Severna Park’s second goal in the 2023 championship — was tripped in the Towson penalty area.

Cover casually rolled the ball into the bottom-right corner to double the lead and put the Falcons in control, even if they didn’t act like it.

“We had the momentum, but we just kept saying, 0-0,” Cover said. “We can’t think we have the momentum, because the game can change at any moment if they put one in.”

From there it was all about limiting chances. Towson continued to push forward and probe at Severna Park’s defense, but the Falcons kept the door to the penalty area bolted tightly, restricting the Generals to long-range efforts.

Lily Diedrich ended with five saves in goal for the Falcons, none of them truly threatening. Instead, it was the Severna Park defense that turned things into offense.

Bragg’s first goal was the result of a booming clearance that flew past everyone into Towson’s half of the field. Bragg easily outran both Towson defenders to the ball and accelerated away with just the keeper to beat, which she quickly did.

Her second goal came on a counter-press in the Towson penalty area. After the Falcons lost the ball, Bragg immediately stole it back from one center back, sashayed past the other, and fired into the top-left corner from close range.

It was a fitting way to sum up a back-to-front dominance that showed up on the big stage to wrap up another title in style.

“Our defenders are comfortable on the ball, and a lot of teams like to press us, but today we knew we’d have a little bit more time,” said Severna Park coach Rick Stimpson. “They were very calm on the ball, midfielders do a great job of getting open, and it really is that confidence on the ball that allows us to play from back to front. The players are really smart, and they work hard. They make it easy for me.”