It felt like a flashback to 2022 for Marriotts Ridge girls lacrosse coach Amanda Brady and several of the Mustangs.

Three years ago, they trailed perennial powerhouse Severna Park by three goals late in the fourth quarter of the Class 3A state championship. Marriotts Ridge ultimately rallied and stunned the Falcons to win that game and the program’s fifth state title.

In this year’s 3A state title game Wednesday afternoon at Stevenson University, the Mustangs followed a similar script, albeit with a much younger core.

The sixth-seeded Mustangs roared back to defeat the top-seeded Falcons by the same 11-10 scoreline as three years ago, cementing the program’s sixth crown and third in the past five years.

The Mustangs also avenged a 14-9 regular-season loss to the Falcons on March 25.“From the beginning of the first game with Severna Park, we realized that we want to win more than them,” Mustangs freshman attacker Hayden Baumgartner said. “Coming into this game, understanding that many people saw us as the underdogs and that Severna Park has this great record, great team and they were a big rival to beat. I think that we were just so focused as a team on all working together and having fun and keeping the energy up.”

Marriotts Ridge (15-4-1) trailed by two inside of the final six minutes and capitalized when Severna Park standout midfielder Maria Bragg was assessed a yellow card. The Mustangs evened the score without Bragg’s dominant presence in the middle of the field.

Shortly after the card expired, Baumgartner was swarmed by several Falcons defenders and alertly realized the open area. Junior Sophia McGinnis cut toward the crease and buried the shot off Baumgartner’s feed that put the Mustangs ahead for good with 3:41 remaining.

“Standing behind the goal, I saw that I was open,” McGinnis said. “I was so nervous, but in the moment, I just wasn’t thinking. Seeing it go in the back of the net, I just was so excited to cheer with my teammates, and I’m so proud of all of us.”

Severna Park (17-3) had an opportunity to answer after a Mustangs turnover inside the final minute and pushed the pace in transition. However, Mustangs freshman goalie Shannen Krozy had other ideas. The young netminder met the moment and stuffed Ava Deegan’s in-tight shot to preserve the one-goal lead.

That clutch save was the crown jewel of Krozy’s outstanding seven-save second half.

Krozy has been rotating halves with her older sister, Kaelyn, throughout the season and put together her best 24 minutes of lacrosse on the season’s biggest stage.

Krozy wasn’t the only underclassman to deliver when her team needed it most. Fellow freshman Sedona Kaplan was massive down the stretch with several draw control wins that allowed the Mustangs to maintain possession.

“I just knew that I had taken the draw a million times and practiced it a million times,” Kaplan said. “I trusted the circle girls. I trusted everybody at midfield, defense, attack, that regardless of where the ball would end up, we would be able to pick it up, get it, maintain possession and ultimately win the game.”

A terrific group of underclassmen blended with a strong foundation of senior leadership guided Marriotts Ridge all season. While the late-game high-intensity moments of a state championship faze many, the Mustangs’ young group was impervious to that pressure and sealed the deal alongside key contributions from senior defenders Izzy Perry and Kendall Sloper.

“They have so much energy,” Brady said. “(Shannen Krozy) has so much energy, and I honestly think they all feed off of it. Even our quieter girls, they feed off their energy. It’s really fun to watch the freshmen come in, have the energy. They love the game. They love the sport, and they love being together. I think that is really what’s driving this. At the end of the day, it’s about all of them.”

Fittingly, Krozy emerged from the cage and celebrated first with one of those valued veterans in Sloper. The remaining 23 Mustangs weren’t far behind, jumping in pure jubilation.

What felt like déjà vu wasn’t a flashback. It was, in fact, a reality: the Mustangs dethroned the two-time defending champions and are back on the mountaintop as 2025 state champions.

“I couldn’t have done it without them,” Krozy said. “I love them so much. Just pure euphoria and joy. I was just so happy. It was an experience, one for a lifetime.”

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