Girls’ lacrosse: Calvert is ready to make a run in the SMAC; Westfield gets through the wall

But Calvert (9-0) could be poised to change that narrative this spring. A steady influx of talent under Coach Harry Hornick has the Cavaliers poised to potentially improve on last year's run to the Maryland 3A/2A East region finals. They also control their own destiny in the SMAC regular-season title race heading into pivotal late-season matchups against La Plata, Leonardtown and Huntingtown over the next week.

“We’ve always had the few difficult teams that we’ve had problems with, but all of us have that goal to beat them or give them a run for their money,” said junior Sydney Watson, a Connecticut recruit who has a team-high 20 goals. “I think we’re all ready for it.”

Hornick said the Cavaliers’ improvement directly correlates to the increase in year-round lacrosse players on the roster since he arrived. He called it the key to making SMAC lacrosse more competitive. The only conference game involving the three top teams not decided by a double-digit margin was Leonardtown’s 10-9 double-overtime win against Huntingtown on April 15.

Calvert will face both schools in a four-day span next week; winning both would be a rare feat. The Cavaliers haven’t accomplished it since 2005. Doing so now, however, would provide further validation for a group that succumbed to “breaking down and getting mad at each other” last season, according to Watson.

“We came into the season with a lot of goals, and so far we’re accomplishing all of them,” Watson added. “We’ve kept our composure and kept together as a team. I think that’s definitely going to help us through the hard games.”

The Cavaliers know the next week could ultimately define the season. Tuesday’s 13-4 win over Northern was just their second victory over a team that currently has an above-.500 record. Senior Regan Healey said the tougher games down the stretch were used as motivation to correct mistakes during some of Calvert’s lopsided wins.

Its only other game decided by single digits was a 7-6 win over Westfield in non-conference play earlier this month. But the sustained success released tension and gave players the confidence to not dwell on mistakes.

Whether all that translates to victories over Leonardtown or Huntingtown is still an unknown to Hornick. But the Cavaliers finally seem up for the challenge.

“We’ve just been building the program with girls that are increasing in talent every year and we’re all able to work together and our relationship is solid,” said Healey, the team’s leader in assists to go along with 16 goals. “We could definitely tell we had talent and we knew we could go a long way this season. It didn’t really come as a surprise that so far we’ve done so well. We’ve just been developing our team together and it just so happens we’ve done really well.”

Westfield gets through the wall

The season was barely underway and Olivia Markert felt it was already heading south. Westfield was blown out by No. 5 Robinson in a March tournament, and just a few days prior, it lost by seven goals to No. 9 Langley.

So after the rocky start, the Bulldogs decided that to get through that early season wall, they’d have to go to the wall.

Before and after practice, the five co-captains have been leading 15-minute wall ball sessions, re-establishing a routine that was part of their 2014 state championship season.

At the wall, they’ll practice the basics with their teammates; right hand, left hand, one hand, quick stick — whatever needs work, Markert said.

“After that game I just was like, we’ve really got to fix some things,” Markert said.

That extra work has started to pay dividends for Westfield (7-5), which has won five of its last seven games, including Tuesday’s 12-11 overtime victory over Oakton and a 15-14 win against Centreville on April 19.

But the most telling performance came the game before that, a 14-13 loss to Robinson. A month after falling, 18-7, to the defending Virginia 6A champions, the Bulldogs were competitive, and even held a halftime lead.

“Nobody really thought anything of us because a lot of the players on our team haven’t played for a while, but I think that everyone’s working so hard,” Markert said. “To win a game it takes heart, and I think our team has that.”

Westfield sees itself as an underdog after last year’s 9-9 campaign, but it’s starting to play like a contender. A balanced offense and a steady defense has keyed the turnaround.

Markert, a Yale commit, has 45 goals and notched the game-winner against Oakton. Senior Angela Stevenson has 16 goals and 14 assists, taking draws for the Bulldogs. Sophomore Nicki McNamara has 34 goals, senior Katie Matz has 24 and junior goalkeeper Abby Smith has 106 saves, including 17 in the second Robinson game.

“We definitely still have a lot to work on, but we’re a family now,” Matz said, “and we have a ways to go but I feel like we can work together and do it.”

The Post Top 10

Good Counsel lost to McDonogh, the top-ranked team in the country, on Monday but defeated St. John’s, 17-4, Tuesday. . . . Marriotts Ridge closes its regular season with games against McDonogh, Glenelg and Mount Hebron beginning Saturday. . . . Robinson cruised to a 19-7 win over Herndon and has a state semifinal rematch Thursday against Centreville. . . . St. Mary’s-Annapolis returns to the rankings after reeling off seven straight wins and enters Wednesday’s game against Roland Park with a chance to move into second place in the IAAM-A standings.

1. Good Counsel (15-2) Last week: 1

2. St. Stephen's/St. Agnes (15-1) LW: 2

3. Marriotts Ridge (11-0) LW: 4

4. Bishop Ireton (14-3) LW: 3

5. Robinson (12-0) LW: 5

6. Severna Park (9-1) LW: 6

7. Mount Hebron (9-2) LW: 7

8. Glenelg (7-2) LW: 8

9. Langley (13-0) LW: 9

10. St. Mary's-Annapolis (12-3) LW: NR

Dropped out: No. 10 Holy Cross (10-5)

Bubble: Sherwood (8-1), Severn (10-6), Georgetown Visitation (12-6)

Records through Tuesday.