Loch Raven

Loch Raven coach Wendy Galinn is the first to admit that this year's team is less talented than her Class 1A-2A state finalists of a year ago.But the third-ranked Raiders showed Galinn and the previously unbeaten Catonsville that they have plenty of talent.Visiting Loch Raven used crisp passing and aggressive defense to outshoot the Comets, 32-11, en route to a 22-2 win in a Baltimore County 1A-2A League game.The win improved the Raiders' record to 8-0, including 6-0 in the league, and they've now outscored their opponents, 157-15.

For Loch Raven coach Ken Witts, matching up with the 11th-ranked Towson Generals proved to be a tall problem.Six feet two, to be exact.In last night's season opener for both teams, 6-2 Towson center Katie Walker was the difference in an otherwise even game, scoring 18 points and collecting 23 rebounds to lead the host Generals to a 55-41 win over the 19th-ranked Raiders in a Baltimore County 1A-2A League game.Walker, along with 5-10 Katie Barnes (17 rebounds) and 5-11 Kerry Koch (14 points, eight rebounds)

For the Loch Raven girls lacrosse team, winning the county title isn't just expected. It's demanded."We feel the pressure [to win] from the students, the parents, the press, outsiders. . . We've got everything to lose and nowhere to go but down," said coach Wendy Galinn.But with a 9-8 win over 12th-ranked Dulaney yesterday, the third-ranked Raiders finally were able to take a giant sigh of relief.Senior Anne Heine scored four goals, including three in the second half, as host Loch Raven took a 7-4 lead and held off a late second-half rally to claim its eighth straight Baltimore County championship and 20th in the past 22 years.

The No. 11 Towson boys soccer team bought itself a healthy insurance policy in the first half of yesterday's Baltimore County 2A-1A matchup by outshooting, out-passing and thoroughly outplaying host Loch Raven.In the second half, however, Towson was forced to collect.After playing possibly their most sluggish half of the season, the fatigued Generals had to rely on their early goals to carry them to a 3-2 victory."We kind of ran out of gas," said Towson coach Paul Becker, who was forced to field several players suffering from various illnesses.

Coming from behind is something that the second-ranked Loch Raven Raiders have done a lot in recent weeks.Last night in the Class 2A state semifinals, they showed North Hagerstown that it's become just another part of their repertoire.Trailing in each game, the Raiders used big streaks to rally in all three en route to a 15-9, 15-7, 15-11 victory at Catonsville High School.The Raiders (17-0) advance to Saturday's Class 2A state finals at noon at Catonsville Community College, where they'll face Atholton, a winner over Stephen Decatur last night.

Ranked No. 24 in the most recent USA Today Top 25 list, No. 2 in the area and riding a 16-game winning streak, Loch Raven's defending 2A state champion girls soccer team is under increasing pressure.But you wouldn't know it considering the poise with which the Raiders continue to dismantle their opponents, having outscored them, 45-2.Yesterday, Loch Raven (8-0) visited No. 10 Mercy, its toughest foe to date, and again the Raiders dominated, hammering an injury-riddled squad by a 25-5 shots-on-goal margin en route to a 2-0 nonleague victory and their sixth shutout.

Unranked Loch Raven seemed to burn sixth-ranked Overlea at every turn yesterday. And when it was over, the visiting Falcons' afternoon was in ashes.Stopper Phil Lancelotta scored on a direct kick in the game's 20th minute, and Jeremy McDonough assisted on goals by Jeff Courtney and Todd Smith, helping the Raiders cruise to a 3-0 lead and an eventual 3-1 victory."

Christy Dial scored four goals and Missy Compton and Suzy Waire added three each, as Loch Raven defeated Fallston, 14-9, to win its fourth straight state Class 1A-2A girls lacrosse title yesterday at Catonsville Community College.The Raiders (13-0), who have won 51 straight games, completed the 13th undefeated season in the 19-year history of their program."Now the weight's finally off our shoulders," said Dial, one of four starting seniors. "We don't hear much when we win, but if we had lost, we would never have heard the end of it, especially if we had lost the last game of our senior year."