“It was only a few, but it was a few more than it should’ve been,” Torggler said of her errant shots. “It was frustrating, but after I relaxed and focused, I think that’s what helped me to move my shots.”
Poor weather on Wednesday forced the teams to wait an extra day for the rematch of last season’s final, and defending state champion Severna Park (18-2) wasted little time building a comfortable lead.
Westminster (13-5) struck first three minutes in, but junior Ryan Bathras tied it 24 seconds later, sparking a run of seven straight goals by the Falcons. Torggler scored her first goal — an easy finish off a pass from sophomore Julianna Ricci — early in the burst and Bathras added two more as the lead swelled.
Severna Park maintained at least a four-goal advantage the rest of the way. The Falcons’ speedy midfielders wore down the Owls in transitition as the game progressed. Torggler led that effort with three second-half goals, including one on which she forced a turnover and raced in to score.
Meantime, senior goalie Camille King made nine saves, including several at close range.
“From the offense to the transition to the defense to our goalie play, honestly, I think this was our best game all year,” said senior Ally Adams, who had two goals. “We finally did it, and I’m so proud of every aspect of my team.”
Severna Park players pushed through a difficult postseason run after the death of teammate Tracy Vander Kolk on May 10. The Falcons needed several close wins, including one over rival South River, to keep their season going, but they closed out the 11th title in program history with a convincing effort.
“We got better and better and better and worked more and more as a team,” said Torggler, who led the effort to empty the water cooler on Coach Carin Peterson afterward. “Today we just came out and put everything together and played the best game we’ve ever played.”
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