The top-ranked Mount Hebron girls lacrosse team continues to make the most of less this season, with injuries and other departures not stopping the team's unrivaled success.
In years past, the Vikings (8-0 going into the week) have typically carried 24 players on the varsity roster, but the number has been cut to 17 for most of the season.
Senior attack/midfielder Alex Mengel, senior attack Kate Smith and junior attack Jessica Stanford are out with injuries, and as junior goalie Lindsay Sfekas returned to the field, junior defender Kellianne Wunk went down for the season.
The arrival of Marriotts Ridge High School also cut into the Vikings' talent pool, leaving the junior varsity team thinner than usual as well.
"Injuries are part of the game, but when you're already depleted it can freak you out," Mount Hebron coach Brooke Kuhl-McClelland said. "We're still managing and pushing through. The adversity has been there, but they've risen above everything and they're having fun, which is something we try to implore every day."
The lack of numbers have been most costly in practice, with the Vikings unable to go with full-field scrimmages.
Mount Hebron still has depth on attack, however. The Vikings, who have won nine straight state titles and 87 consecutive games dating to 2001, have three players with 20 or more goals and three others with 10 or more.
The balance was apparent in the Vikings' 14-8 win over Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference champ and No. 3 St. Mary's on April 17.
"That's been the greatest thing," Kuhl-McClelland said. "St. Mary's came out face-guarding Meggie Bosica right from the start. It didn't matter. We had Katie Rekart, Alicia Krause, Jacqueline Giles - all these other players stepped up and we have a few defenders who are really incredible at attacking the goal."
Rekart went into the week with 24 goals, followed by Giles (23) and Bosica (22).
Capra wins 1st title
Ellicott City resident and tennis standout Beatrice Capra, who turned 14 earlier this month, celebrated by capturing the Easter Bowl National Junior Tennis Championships in her age group April 17 in Palm Springs, Calif.
It was the first junior national tournament title for Capra, who attends McDonogh School in Owings Mills and has been playing tennis for five years.
Capra, who was seeded fourth, had to come back to defeat Lilly Kimbell of Braunfels, Texas, 2-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3.
