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Over the course of the Baltimore Washington Metro season, Northern Virginia has been the team to beat. Riding momentum from their dominating performance in last season's grand final (114-15), the Hams took to this season's metro like a fish to water.
Piling points up on the scoreboard and doubling overall points against both DC and Maryland, losing only one game in four games played in local action, losing by one point in the inaugural Liberty Cup metro tournament's grand final, all the Hams had to do to cap off a fantastic metro season was quickly dispatch of Maryland's surprising and youthful surge at the end of the metro season.
(PHOTO: Bogan Denis Ryan looks for space in the March 29 game against the Hams)
Photo courtesy of Amy Bishop.
On the other side of the field was a Maryland Bogans team that has really picked up energy and excitement for the game. With a handful of veteran players and a core of first year players, Maryland shocked the more experienced DC Capital Punishment in the final week of regular play and thus earning them a shot at the Denis Ryan Cup against the Northern Virginia Hams. Braving foul weather, teams arrived at West Potomac Park for a heated exchange of play that capped off another great season of local action.
With Northern Virginia notching the first goal on the day, Maryland was quick to respond by kicking one of their own in. Battles in the middle with Alistair and Geoff contesting at ruck made for some quick snaps from engine rooms consisting of Stuart Ritchie, Jay Levesque and Dave Waldron for Northern Virginia and Shane Frearson, Denis Ryan and Troy Venuto for Maryland.
Start of the second, Northern Virginia took things up a notch as ball movement was rather easy and the kicks were straight on from 35-45 yards out. Using fitness and good ball reading, the Hams exploited Maryland's hesitation and took the game out of the Bogan's reach.
Knowing that they had nothing to lose and that giving the Hams a challenge for loose balls, the Bogans played with renewed vigor for the first five minutes. But fitness and experience prevailed for the Hams as they quenched those fast breaks and piled on more and more goals. Losing Shane Frearson to a groin injury also didn't help matters for the purple and black as Northern Virginia were just hitting stride.
Finishing the game up, the Bogans were outplayed and took encouragement that no one gave up the intensity even though the scoreboard was completely owned by the Hams. Meanwhile, Northern Virginia walked off cleanly with their second consecutive Metro title and established themselves as the most dominant local squad since metro was installed. Congratulations to the Hams on a fantastic metro season!
QUARTER SCORES:
01Q: NVA 7.2 (44) to MD 2.1 (13); 02Q: NVA 15.5 (95) to MD 2.2 (14); 03Q: NVA 21.8 (134) to MD 3.5 (23); 04Q: NVA 25.17 (173) to MD 4.6 (30)
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GOALS:
NVA: Boyd, Moore (5); Blanchard (4); Bludau, Levesque, Ritchie, Waldron (2); Hamshar, Polsusny, Stanley, Tyndall (1 ea.)
MD: Alistair, Florence, Marshall, Ryan (1 ea.)
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PLAYERS:
NVA: Wheelock, Hamshar, Ritchie, Tyndall, Levesque, Stanley, Polsusny, Waldron, Moore, Blanchard, Boyd, Bludau, Kyle
DC: Ryan, Schall, Stankovic, Stablein, Venuto, Fenlon, Smith, Florence, Alistair, Goodman, Marshall, Rich, Frearson
Umpire: Bishop Boundry/Goal Umpires: Borchardt, Elliott, Chase, Merlin
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