May 29, 2003
GIRLS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Coco Stanwick
Notre Dame Prep
Since the start of her sophomore season, Stanwick has been the key to the No. 2 Blazers' attack. Her lightning-quick stick, thread-the-needle passes and accurate shot combined with a knack for making the right decisions all over the field. Although the senior led the team with 57 goals and 55 assists, coach Mary Bartel said she was the most important person on the field whether she scored or not. She drew a lot of defensive attention but always seemed to make something happen, helping the Blazers win their second Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference crown in three years. An All-Metro first-team selection last season, Stanwick finished her career as the Blazers' all-time leading scorer with 178 goals and 144 assists, bettering the marks of her sisters Sheehan and Wick, whom she will follow to Georgetown.
GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR
Mary Bartel
Notre Dame Prep
In 22 seasons at NDP, Bartel has had a knack for getting her teams to peak at tournament time. The No. 2 Blazers (14-4-1) were the preseason favorites to win the IAAM A Conference championship, but they were a whole different team by season's end. Benefiting from tough losses to Roland Park, St. Paul's and Seton Keough, the Blazers avenged losses to the first two and then beat St. Mary's, 10-6, in the title game. "With this team, they were willing to learn, so while none of us likes to lose, we truly saw it as a means to an end," said Bartel, The Sun's All-Metro Coach of the Year in 2001.
FIRST TEAM
Jessica Allen
Hereford
The most well-rounded player for the No. 10 Bulls (15-2), the senior put them in position to win their third straight state title by scoring the winner with 14 seconds left in the 14-13 state semifinal victory over Glenelg. She had 44 goals and 57 assists a year after earning first-team All-Metro honors last year. She will follow her sister Gina to North Carolina.
Ellen Cameron
Roland Park
The junior goalie wasn't a starter at first, but when Ashley Thompson was lost for the season with a broken thumb, Cameron stepped in and then peaked in the tournament. She allowed just 6.5 goals a game for the No. 3 Reds (13-2-2).
Becky Clipp
Catonsville
Athletic, aggressive and determined, the senior midfielder led the Comets (12-2) to the Baltimore County Division I title with 57 goals and 21 assists. Clipp scored four goals in the 12-10 win over No. 10 Hereford. She is headed for Maryland.
Molly Frew
Roland Park
The senior defender excelled one-on-one, shutting out St. Mary's Mary Key and holding NDP's Coco Stanwick to one goal. Frew also directed a strong defensive unit that lost only once to a local team. She is bound for Vanderbilt.
Jamie Hanssen
Notre Dame Prep
There was nothing flashy about the junior defender's style; she just has a knack for getting the job done quietly. Hanssen used her speed and stick skills to excel.
Meghan Higgins
Franklin
The Maryland-bound senior led the No. 14 Indians (8-5) in scoring (45 goals, 25 assists) and proved equally valuable on the draw. She had 60 draw controls, including 11 of 12 in the second half of a 15-14 regional final win over Catonsville.
Aly Josephs
Franklin
The top attacker for a team that earned its first trip to the state final four, the senior had 35 goals and 13 assists. She scored three times and had an assist in the 17-7 state final loss to No. 1 Mount Hebron. She is headed for Northwestern.
Christina Juras
McDonogh
The midfielder was the heart of her team, leading it in goals (61), assists (23), ground balls, draw controls and caused turnovers. She added a better defensive game to the speed, stickwork and agility that made her an All-Metro first-teamer a year ago. She is bound for North Carolina.
Cherie Michaud
Maryvale
A second-team All-Metro selection last season, she controlled the defensive end for the young Lions (6-7-1). Her understanding of positioning and timing allowed her to excel in all facets of the defensive game. She will move on to Johns Hopkins.
Alex Nolan
Roland Park
The quarterback on attack was the Reds' second-leading scorer with 23 goals and 17 assists. She used a quick first step to hit 53 percent of her shots. Nolan is bound for Johns Hopkins.
Norris Novak
Bryn Mawr
The junior defense wing proved a bright spot in a 7-9-1 season for the young Mawrtians. Novak was the key to the fast break by winning a ground ball or coming up with the draw, but she excelled at denying her opponent the ball.
Mollie Reese
Hereford
A jack-of-all-trades in the midfield, the senior provided whatever her team lacked, usually being a spark in transition. She finished with 38 goals and 26 assists. Reese, a second-team All-Metro pick last season, will play next year at Maryland.
Chrissy Rude
Hereford
Exceptionally strong and 6 feet 1, the senior proved nearly impossible to stop in the arc, finishing with 61 goals and 22 assists for the state Class 2A-1A champion. An All-Metro attacker last year, Rude scored six goals in the 14-13 state semifinal win over Glenelg. She is headed for North Carolina.
Ashleigh Smith
Dulaney
The senior midfielder got the job done at both ends of the field for the Lions (11-4). The second-leading scorer with 19 goals and 11 assists, the defense wing was also a leader in ground balls and played a key role, especially in transition defense. She is headed for Cornell.
Annie Wagner
St. Paul's
The junior attacker contributed 35 percent of the Gators' total goals, finishing with 57. Against IAAM A Conference competition, she scored 65 percent of their goals -- many against the top teams. She did this all while playing with a stress fracture in her foot.
