Here are The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro field hockey teams for the 2024 season:

Player of the Year

Brinkley Eyre, Glenelg, senior, midfielder

Her trademark orange headband made this senior easy to spot on the field, but defenses still couldn’t find a way to stop her. The second-team All-American finished the season with a state-record 59 goals, ranking second in the nation, according to the blog Top of the Circle, to go along with 21 assists.

That included standout performances against some of the area’s best teams. She tallied nine goals and two assists in a pair of wins over No. 11 Long Reach, two goals in a victory over No. 12 Mt. Hebron, a key assist in a 2-1 win over eventual Class 4A state champion Crofton and six goals and three assists in three state tournament games, ending in the Class 2A state final.

Before the season, coach Martie Dyer moved Eyre from her lower-midfield position up toward the forward line, with the idea that she could increase her offensive production and fill a void created by the graduation of her older sister, AJ, who previously helped lead the team to three straight state titles. The senior embraced the challenge.

“[AJ] had a big offensive presence, and I knew that coming into this year I had to take on that role,” Eyre said. “I really tried to practice my shooting a bunch so I could have that presence and lead the offense in that way.”

And despite often facing double- and triple-teams, Eyre used her speed and skills to put together what might be the best overall offensive season in state history.

“Her stickwork is incredible. She can have three people on her and she can dribble out of them,” Dyer said. “I’ve known Brinkley since she was in second grade. She trains very hard. She has a goal in her yard, and she’ll put on the headlights and she’ll just be out there shooting and shooting. She works at it. She’s obviously a natural to begin with, but then she works very, very hard.”

Now, she’s preparing to reunite with her older sister at Maryland, where the pair will play together beginning next season. The younger Eyre is set to graduate a semester early after taking classes at Howard Community College and will be able to train and practice with the Terps from the time she hits campus the third week of January.

“We play really well together,” Eyre said of her sister. “I’m just excited to play the sport I love with the person I love most.”

Coach of the Year

Carey Fetting-Smith, Bryn Mawr

As a player at Bryn Mawr more than two decades ago, Fetting-Smith helped lead her team to four straight conference championships. This fall, the former national team defender took over at her alma mater and helped guide the Mawrtians to a No. 1 ranking and their first Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference title since 2009.

Bryn Mawr finished 15-2-1, ending the season with a 4-3 overtime win over previously unbeaten Spalding in the championship game. It was a shining moment for both the program and Fetting-Smith, who as a player at the University of North Carolina in the early 2000s had fervently studied the coaching tenets of legendary Tar Heels basketball coach Dean Smith.

“It’s this concept that when you really commit to the journey and focus every day on the opportunity to get better and work as hard as you can, the outcome is going to take care of itself,” she said. “And this group just completely bought into that.”

Fetting-Smith had nothing left to prove as a player, helping Carolina to the 2004 ACC championship and playing on both the U.S. under-19 and under-21 national teams. After three seasons as an assistant at Columbia University, including a stint as acting head coach, she spent last season assisting her mentor, longtime Bryn Mawr coach Jeannette Budzik.

When Budzik decided to step down after 35 years at the helm, Fetting-Smith jumped at the chance to take over. Along with assistant Quichey Johnson, a 2015 Bryn Mawr graduate, she guided a team that quickly became known for its defensive dominance, notching 11 shutouts and allowing just five goals in the regular season against teams from the Baltimore area.

Three of those came in a humbling shutout loss to Spalding in late September, capping a challenging period in which the squad failed to earn a win in three straight games against top-level competition. That five-day period played a pivotal role in helping prepare the team for its championship run.

“I was so grateful for those challenging games because I think they really helped us dig deeper and learn from our mistakes,” Fetting-Smith said. “Then we worked even harder to realize the full potential of the team.”

First team

Olivia Feeley, Crofton, senior, forward

Using her uncanny stick skills to consistently beat defenders and get out of tight spaces, Feeley led the Class 4A state champs with 21 goals and 16 assists, contributing to all five of her team’s goals in the state semifinals and final.

Skylar Gilman, Spalding, senior, forward

The Maryland commit and second-team All-American was a difference-maker on offense for the regular-season IAAM A Conference champs, constantly dribbling through double- and triple-teams to lead the Cavaliers in scoring (14 goals) and assists (11).

Amanda Herrold, Manchester Valley, junior, forward

The Carroll County scoring leader dominated the left attacking side through her crafty stick skills and circle attack, finishing with 24 goals and nine assists, including two in the Mavericks’ Class 2A state final win over Glenelg that completed an undefeated season.

Addie Polakoff, Bryn Mawr, senior, forward

The Northeastern commit scored critical goals all season for the IAAM A Conference champions, including two in the championship game, to finish with 22 goals and 13 assists in addition to 39 turnovers created.

Faith Everett, Broadneck, senior, midfielder

The future Terps center midfielder showed off her stickwork, field sense and vast skill set, finishing with 11 goals and eight assists to help lead the Bruins to the Class 4A state title game. It marked her third season in a row with double-digit goals.

Penelope Kousouris, Bryn Mawr, senior, midfielder-defender

A major contributor to the Mawrtians’ attack and defense, the Wake Forest commit showed exceptional elimination skills and field sense, finishing with nine goals and 19 assists to go with 97 forced turnovers and 26 created corners.

Katelyn Kearns, Broadneck, senior, midfielder

Kearns, who will continue her career at UMass, totaled 14 goals and a team-best 12 assists, helping the Bruins to a 15-3-2 record and their second trip to the Class 4A state final in three years. She broke the school’s all-time assists record.

Gracie Kothari, Garrison Forest, senior, midfielder

The engine of the Grizzlies’ midfield finished with 11 goals, time and again creating scoring chances while playing critical roles on penalty corners for the IAAM A Conference semifinalists. She will continue her career at Bucknell.

Stella Bumgarner, Spalding, senior, defender

A leader on the field and master at forcing turnovers, Bumgarner led a defensive unit that compiled nine shutouts, finishing her senior year with three goals, five assists and five defensive saves. She will continue her career at Duke.

Jilly Lawn, Spalding, senior, defender

The leader of a unit that allowed 15 goals in 19 games, the future Miami (Ohio) University player showed tremendous poise in the backfield, often starting transitions and finishing with nine goals, seven assists and six defensive saves.

Emerson Ross, Notre Dame Prep, junior, defender

The Virginia commit and under-16 women’s national team member totaled 10 goals, 11 assists and eight defensive saves for the Blazers, using her standout field vision to break opposition presses and create counterattacks.

Ryleigh Osborne, Crofton, senior, goalie

The area’s only first-team All-American stopped 90.7% of shots against her, using her uncanny agility and athleticism to make saves that most other goalies couldn’t touch in leading Crofton to its third straight state title. She will continue her career at Maryland.

Second team

Ava Boland, St. Mary’s, sophomore, forward

Raleigh Kerst, Broadneck, senior, forward

Meghan Walker, Glenelg, sophomore, forward

Samantha Legge, Long Reach, junior, midfielder

Liz Szybalski, Manchester Valley, senior, midfielder

Nora Tromble, Franklin, junior, midfielder

Ava Zimmerman, Severna Park, senior, midfielder

Sophie Baer, Manchester Valley, senior, midfielder-defender

Bree Riggs, Crofton, senior, defender

Maddy Snyder, Garrison Forest, senior, defender

Emma Weber, Severna Park, senior, defender

Jane Baldy, Centennial, junior, goalie

Hannah Brooks, Maryvale, senior, goalie

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