Defense carries Spalding to top ranking

The Spalding girls' soccer team won its third consecutive IAAM-A title last month, setting a school record for wins in the process. But the reason the Cavaliers have been The Post's No. 1 ranked team all season is just how dominating they were in compiling an impressive 20-0-1 record.

Spalding allowed six goals all season. One of those six was the result of an early game penalty kick, while two others came in blowouts when goaltender Jocelyn McCoy and several other starters were already on the sidelines. The Cavaliers were also clutch, winning three games in either overtime or double overtime. Their lone blemish was a 0-0 tie with No. 2 Good Counsel.

"We just had a dominating, smothering defense," said Coach Bob Dieterle, whose team finished the year ranked No. 4 in the country by ESPN. "And this year's team was very deep. It really came to advantage in overtime because we had strength throughout the team."

Tuscarora goes from unranked to No. 5 in the final poll after winning the Maryland 3A state title. Freshman Aaron Parry, who was the main catalyst in the Titans' impressive 4-1 win over Quince Orchard in the 3A West regional finals, finished with a school-record 22 goals this season.

Sidwell Friends matures

It was just their second game of the year and their only loss on the season, but an early-September game against a McDonogh team then ranked No. 2 in the nation was critical to Sidwell Friends's success this year, according to Quakers Coach Jorgen Kjaer.

Sidwell, which finishes the year atop The Post's top 10 boys' rankings, was returning an experienced core entering the season, including eight seniors, and Kjaer believed he had a team built to succeed.

In order to understand what they were capable of, however, Kjaer felt it was necessary to test the unit early, and so they traveled to Baltimore just a week into their preseason to match up with one of the area's best.

The Quakers fell, 1-0, the only loss in a 13-1-3 season, but Kjaer said it was the right way to open the year.

"Many of them had been successful the year before, and I wanted to give them the opportunity to shine on a more national level," Kjaer said. "It was a tough loss, but I think we played a very even game, and we didn't win it, but still I think that tournament gave us the confidence."

Led by senior defender Ben Norton and goalkeeper Seth MacMillan, Sidwell Friends allowed more than one goal in a game just twice this season -- in a 3-2 win over DCIAA runners-up Wilson on Sept. 11 and a late-season 3-3 tie with Potomac School -- and captured a fourth straight Mid-Atlantic Conference championship.

"Coming in this year we obviously wanted to win the championship again but the [McDonogh] game provided us this initial challenge that brought the team together," Norton said. "That was one of the best games we played. Everyone was working hard and we all saw what we could do."