Kesmodel

On July 28, 2003, ANNA J. KESMODEL (nee Ashman), beloved wife of the late William H. Kesmodel; devoted mother of Shelley Klimm and her husband Mark; loving grandmother of Caitlin Klimm; precious aunt of Doanna Canapp, Donna Thomas and Sue Cooper; also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. Services and interment private. In lieu of flowers, Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the American Cancer Society. Arrangements by Schimunek Funeral Home Inc.

On July 28, 2003, ANNA J. KESMODEL (nee Ashman), beloved wife of the late William H. Kesmodel; devoted mother of Shelley Klimm and her husband Mark; loving grandmother of Caitlin Klimm; precious aunt of Doanna Canapp, Donna Thomas and Sue Cooper; also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. Services and interment private. In lieu of flowers, Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the American Cancer Society. Arrangements by Schimunek Funeral Home Inc.

After winning a fourth straight state title last month, P.J. Kesmodel quietly retired from coaching Mount Hebron girls lacrosse.Eight years ago, it was anything but quiet when he started the program.As soon as the Vikings took the field, many women coaches exploded, predicting that he would ruin the game. And Kesmodel had a lot of critics -- mostly because, in a very traditional game, he had little use for tradition.His team played in shorts instead of kilts, with plastic sticks instead of wooden, and he used whatever game strategy worked.

After two years away from girls lacrosse, P.J. Kesmodel is ready to come back. The architect behind Mount Hebron's rise to prominence in the early 1990s, Kesmodel has been hired as varsity coach at Seton Keough. "I wanted to take a year off and see if I missed it," said Kesmodel, who left City College's program in 1999. "By last spring and into the summer, I decided I really wanted to do it again." At City College, Kesmodel's Knights went from 2-9 to 13-3 in three years and won two Baltimore City championships.

Having five seniors with Division I lacrosse scholarships return, along with four other varsity starters from a state championship team a year ago, guaranteed Mount Hebron coach P. J. Kesmodel nothing more than lots of talent and high expectations.The defending Class 1A-2A champion Vikings and Kesmodel proved 1992's state title was no fluke by compiling a second straight perfect season, a 36-game winning streak and a 9-7 victory in the state championship over Loch Raven (17-1), the last team to defeat Mount Hebron (1991 state semifinals)

Each year since high school girls lacrosse was introduced in Howard County, Mount Hebron has distinguished itself as a county champion ora contender. And each year, Vikings coach P. J. Kesmodel has ducked the accolades that come to those who run first-class programs.This year the Vikings -- after conceding the county championship to Centennial last season -- regained the title with a devastating, 7-0 record against the league.Going unbeaten against the county is nothing new for Hebron. The Vikings turned the trick in 1988 and 1989.

After two years away from girls lacrosse, P.J. Kesmodel is ready to come back. The architect behind Mount Hebron's rise to prominence in the early 1990s, Kesmodel has been hired as varsity coach at Seton Keough. "I wanted to take a year off and see if I missed it," said Kesmodel, who left City College's program in 1999. "By last spring and into the summer, I decided I really wanted to do it again." At City College, Kesmodel's Knights went from 2-9 to 13-3 in three years and won two Baltimore City championships.

* P. J. Kesmodel, Mount Hebron -- In his 20th year of coaching lacrosse, Kesmodel had one of his most rewarding seasons, guiding the Vikings to their fourth consecutive Howard County championship and third straight state title. After losing five Division I scholarship players from his loaded 1993 team, Kesmodel had to rebuild, especially on defense, where the Vikings were wiped out by graduation. Making a three-peat seem even more unlikely, Mount Hebron was no longer in Class 1A/2A, where they had won back-to-back titles.

With nearly 10 minutes left in the first half, Mount Hebron girls lacrosse coach P. J. Kesmodel wanted a word with his defending state champions."I called a timeout just to yell at them," Kesmodel said of his Vikings, who started sluggishly and only led host Centennial, 4-1 at that point.Whatever Kesmodel said, it worked. The No. 1-ranked Vikings picked up the pace to earn a 9-2 halftime lead, eventually topping the Eagles, 15-4, yesterday in a showcase of Howard county's two best teams.Still, after Mount Hebron (7-0, 3-0 in county play)

Two weeks after the fact, Mount Hebron coach P.J. Kesmodel remains livid over Mount de Sales coach Bill Held's decision to cancel a girls lacrosse game with the Vikings.Not just the cancellation but the way it was handled infuriated Kesmodel, whose No. 2-ranked team was scheduled to play at No. 4 Mount de Sales on May 10. Kesmodel said Held never called him to say the game was off."It was inexcusable what he did," said Kesmodel. "The only way we found out [that the game was canceled] was because we called them.

Player of the YearLauren Aumiller, Notre Dame Prep, senior, midfield: When it came to midfield domination, nobody could match Aumiller. Her performance in the Association of Independent Schools A Division championship put an appropriate finishing touch on her four-year varsity career. In leading the No. 2 Pirates (14-1-1) to a 12-11 overtime victory over No. 4 Bryn Mawr, Aumiller had a goal and four assists, three take-aways and won the majority of NDP's 14 draws. Known for her ability on the draw, often sending the ball up and snatching it with her stick extended above her long arms, Aumiller sparked a lot of the Pirates' offense.

After winning a fourth straight state title last month, P.J. Kesmodel quietly retired from coaching Mount Hebron girls lacrosse.Eight years ago, it was anything but quiet when he started the program.As soon as the Vikings took the field, many women coaches exploded, predicting that he would ruin the game. And Kesmodel had a lot of critics -- mostly because, in a very traditional game, he had little use for tradition.His team played in shorts instead of kilts, with plastic sticks instead of wooden, and he used whatever game strategy worked.

Two weeks after the fact, Mount Hebron coach P.J. Kesmodel remains livid over Mount de Sales coach Bill Held's decision to cancel a girls lacrosse game with the Vikings.Not just the cancellation but the way it was handled infuriated Kesmodel, whose No. 2-ranked team was scheduled to play at No. 4 Mount de Sales on May 10. Kesmodel said Held never called him to say the game was off."It was inexcusable what he did," said Kesmodel. "The only way we found out [that the game was canceled] was because we called them.

Amber Fanta's Mount Hebron teammates call her their unsung hero.Yesterday, Fanta stepped into the limelight with six assists, one short of the school record, and scored a goal to lead the No. 2 Vikings to dwich a 22-17 victory over No. 15 Centennial in the Class 3A-4A West region final.And she did all of that in the first half.The senior first home assisted on three of the Vikings' first four lTC goals. Her fourth assist, to Christina Eberhart, capped an eight-goal rally that gave the top-seeded Vikings (14-1)

Mount Hebron seniors Erin McGinnis and Dani Vissers simply put on a clinic yesterday against South Carroll in the semifinals of the Class 3A-4A West Regional.McGinnis had the best day of her career for the Vikings, scoring 10 goals, handing out two 3A-4A assists and controlling most of the draws, and Vissers was virtually unstoppable as she scored six and had three assists.When the McGinnis-Vissers show was over, the second-ranked Mount Hebron squad had racked up a 24-5 victory.The only way that McGinnis and Vissers were halted yesterday at Mount Hebron was by coach P.J. Kesmodel who started giving them long breaks midway through the first half.

In Howard County girls lacrosse, the rich just seem to get richer.That's good news for Mount Hebron and bad news for everyone else.The Vikings, coming off a 16-2 year in which they swept state, regional and county titles, have four of the seven returning All-County first-team players. They also have some great incentive to finish off one of their strongest seasons ever -- coach P.J. Kesmodel will retire from coaching at the end of the season.Kesmodel, who plans to go back to school, has compiled an impressive record as the Vikings' only head coach winning three state, six county and seven regional titles.

The members of Mount Hebron's girls lacrosse team shared different views as to when the Vikings had Loch Raven on the ropes during Tuesday night's Class 1A/2A title victory.Andrea Cuzmanes, Hebron's superb senior center, said she sensed Hebron had its first state crown in hand when the Vikings completed a dominant first half with an 8-3 lead.Tierney Clark, one of Hebron's defenders, saw the evidence earlier in the faces of her opponents."Their goalie was crying after the first 10 minutes.

The girls lacrosse teams from Mount Hebron and Loch Raven have been on a collision course all season.And last night in the Class 2A/1A championship game at Catonsville Community College, Mount Hebron turned a much-anticipated showdown into a 15-10 victory that ended Loch Raven's 67-game winning streak. The Raiders had not lost in six years and had beaten Hebron last year in the semifinals en route to their state championship.It was night of firsts for both teams, beginning with the Vikings (18-0)

* P. J. Kesmodel, Mount Hebron -- In his 20th year of coaching lacrosse, Kesmodel had one of his most rewarding seasons, guiding the Vikings to their fourth consecutive Howard County championship and third straight state title. After losing five Division I scholarship players from his loaded 1993 team, Kesmodel had to rebuild, especially on defense, where the Vikings were wiped out by graduation. Making a three-peat seem even more unlikely, Mount Hebron was no longer in Class 1A/2A, where they had won back-to-back titles.