Friday, December 14, 2007

MARYLAND

Three-time defending private school champion Gonzaga lost big scorers Patrick Cullen and Ryan Holley to graduation, top defenseman Andrew Panzarella to a juniors league and goalie Billy Rivolini to a prep school in New England. Senior forwards Patrick Foster and Andy Morales will lead the offense until Joey Demeria comes back from an Achilles' injury. . . . Whitman is the surprise team so far in the Montgomery Conference with wins over 2007 quarterfinalists Walter Johnson and Churchill. Rainey Brown and Zach Wolfe have five goals each. . . . Glenelg, which should compete with Wilde Lake and River Hill for the Howard Conference, has been led by sophomore Adam Altieri with six goals in three games. . . . All-Met Bailey Fogarty leads Holton-Arms in its quest for a fifth straight MSHL girls' title.

VIRGINIA

Broad Run will battle Stone Bridge again in the competitive West Conference. Jeremy Davis has eight goals and six assists in the Spartans' 3-0 start. . . . Osbourn Park brings back Ryan McDonald and Chad Ainsworth, two of its top three scorers from last year's championship team, but must replace leading scorer Jason Hughes and goalie Dylan Barber. . . . Woodbridge looks strong with the return of Raymond Furr and Zac Hess, the league's two leading scorers last season, plus the homecoming of talented goalie T.J. Cuneo, who played for O'Connell last year after leading Woodbridge to a state title two years ago. . . . Hagen Nemzek, the top scorer among junior varsity players last season, has 13 points (10 goals, three assists) in three varsity games for Battlefield/Brentsville.

-- Jeff Nelson