Teams that have Atholton penciled in as an easy win on the schedule should think again. Following a 5-0 win over Wilde Lake Sept. 16, the Raiders are 5-0.

And -- check the grip on your stick -- they beat perennial power Centennial last week and are ranked No. 13 in the Sun. Before last year, the team hadn't won five games in a season in more than a decade.

This is all new territory.

"We thought we'd at least be as good as last year, maybe a little better. We didn't lose as many strong players (as other teams) and we gained a lot of strong players," senior back Kristin Duklewski said. "We definitely wanted to beat Centennial since they beat us in the region finals."

A day after beating Centennial in the rain, Atholton played Annapolis in the muggy heat. The Raiders overcame a 1-0 deficit with a pair of goals by Kim Markovitz. Allie Durso and Sarah DeLuca had the assists.

The Raiders' strategy is simple: get the ball into the circle and generate corners. Convert shooting opportunities into goals.

"I think we have a successful formula for possessing the ball and attacking," coach Jim Brown said. "We are looking to have different methods that we can call on at different times."

There are 10 seniors on the Atholton team and a nice mesh of juniors and sophomores to complement them. Markovitz, a sophomore, is one of the Raiders' leading scorers.

Atholton's rise in the standings has come through hard work.

"We have put in a lot out of season. At least four of us play on the same year-round club team, and that's paid off," Kelly Brown said. DeLuca, Duklewski and Allie Durso are also members of Brown's Spitfire club team.

The field hockey team is starting to generate a buzz around the school. The team is mentioned on the morning announcements, and a fan base is being established.

"We'd like to have more people come out and watch us play," DeLuca said.

The way to do that, of course, is to keep winning.

Being undefeated "is kind of scary," Duklewski said. "It's a lot of pressure. Now everyone wants to beat us."

But it won't be easy.

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