Girls soccer

Gillian Sawyer almost didn't make Wilde Lake's varsity team.

"I wasn't sure I'd keep her but she scored a couple goals in scrimmages and really surprised us," coach Phil Webster said about the freshman starter who scored twice to lead Wilde Lake over visiting Marriotts Ridge, 3-1, Sept. 16.

Sawyer's first goal, off a pass from Bethany Keefer, came just 38 seconds into the game.

"It was a nice slip from Bethany," she said.

"They caught us sleeping," said Marriotts Ridge coach Robin Grey. "We learned that you can't leave Wilde Lake alone for 30 seconds."

Keefer scored 10 minutes before halftime off a pass back from Faryn Watts. Sawyer's second goal came midway through the second half off Watts' second assist of the game. Wilde Lake is 3-0 in the county. Marriotts Ridge is 3-1.

Sawyer "came out of nowhere," Grey said. "I had to ask, 'Who's No. 10?' going through (the post-game handshake) line. We already knew about Faryn Watts, but it wasn't the Faryn Watts show. Wilde Lake is so well-rounded."

Watts, playing as if she is fully recovered from anterior cruciate ligament surgery, scored seven goals in two games before being shut out in a 1-0 OT loss to Archbishop Spalding Sept. 15.

Marriotts Ridge keeper Samantha Olson had a series of saves and Maxine Brewer, Alexandra Price, Laura Drude and Shelby Schoen tested Wilde Lake's defense repeatedly. But it wasn't until the 63rd minute that the Mustangs scored.

Schoen's shot to the far post forced Grace Koplow to dive to deflect the ball out of play. That set up a corner kick by Michelle Liuzzo and Drude drove the ball home.

"It's my senior year and I wanted to come in and take it to them," said Drude, frustrated after losing.

But, she added, "This is just a little hash mark on our record."

"I feel fortunate to win this one," Webster said. His team has also beaten Glenelg and Atholton.

Yet, "from the get-go, people have not realized how strong a team we are," Keefer said. "So many people can step up."

The Wildecats are confidant, said Keefer, "but we still have a ways to go. We're often not very consistent. We need to make sure that changes."

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