Fighting Owls Women’s Volleyball Team Get Mauled By Skipjacks

From HCC Sports Desk

BEL AIR, Md.—The Harford women’s volleyball team was plagued by errors, hitting just -.034 for the match as they fell to Chesapeake, 3-0 (25-15, 25-15, 25-20) on Thursday night at Harford Gymnasium.

The Fighting Owls (6-9) totaled 16 errors for the match while tallying just 14 kills on 59 attacks, but the Skipjacks (10-6) did not fare much better as they recorded 18 errors on 59 attacks with 25 kills for a .119 hitting percentage.

Sophomore Claire Sheldon (Havre de Grace, Md./Havre de Grace) and freshman Brittany Kaszak (Perry Hall, Md./Perry Hall) were the only Owls on the positive side in hitting efficiency as Sheldon totaled four kills on 14 attacks with three errors for a .071 hitting percentage and Kaszak hit .500 with three kills on six attacks and no errors.

Sheldon also added four digs and one service ace, while freshman Brittany Corbin (Joppa, Md./Joppatowne) led the team with three blocks, two solo and one assisted and freshman Selena Ortega-Marvel (Elkton, Md./Rising Sun) took the main setting duties, tallying eight assists.

Verushka Perez led Chesapeake with seven kills on 11 attacks with just one error for a .545 hitting percentage, while Lexie Holder was just two aces away from a double-double with 14 assists and eight aces.

The Skipjacks got off to an 8-2 lead in set one, but a Sheldon kill set up a five-point serving run behind sophomore Brielle Webster (Havre de Grace, Md./Havre de Grace) that saw a service ace and four consecutive Skipjack attack errors to knot the score at eight.

After trading points twice, Chesapeake went on its own five-point run to take a 15-10 lead and would hold that advantage on the way to the 25-15 set win.

Set two once again saw the Owls down, this time 8-4, but Webster came through again and served for six consecutive points after Sheldon’s kill to give the Owls an 11-8 advantage.

Chesapeake, not to be outdone, added a run of their own once again, this time an eight-point affair that saw Harford down by six points, 18-12. It would prove to be too large a deficit as the Skipjacks cruised to the 25-15 victory.

In the third and final set the Owls were down, 2-1, but a Chesapeake service error and two points behind freshman Kelsey Sullivan’s (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) put them up, 4-2. The Skipjacks would tie at five, 10 and 11 points, but a Chesapeake attack error set up Sullivan to serve for another two points, giving Harford a 14-11 lead.

The Owls got up to a 16-12 lead, but the Skipjacks began to chip away with a three-point run, followed by a four-point run to take the lead for good, 19-17.

Harford tied the set at 19 points apiece, but a Harford error followed by a four-point serving run gave Chesapeake a 24-19 advantage. Harford gained a point thanks to a Skipjack service error, but Kyra Ringgold sealed the 25-20 set and match win with a kill from Holder.

The Fighting Owls will take to the road this weekend as they face the likes of Genessee, Mott, CCBC-Catonsville, and host Hagerstown at the BJ’s Embroidery Tournament. Harford kicks off tournament action with a 9:00 a.m. match versus Genessee on Saturday.

Sanity And Sanctity Amid Ships Of Wood And Canvas

When you were 8 years old did you love to jump into big piles of sawdust? Did you and your dad scavenge old wooden fruit boxes for white pine that could be carved into World War 1 Spads and German fighter bombers? Carved from scrap wood into treasures of the heart and spirit the youngster learned to work with wood. He credits his dad, now 90, with instilling in him the love of wood and what one can do with it. Continue reading Sanity And Sanctity Amid Ships Of Wood And Canvas

Harford Men’s Soccer Topples Chesapeake

From HCC Sports Desk

WYE MILLS, Md.—The Harford men’s soccer team won its fourth straight and freshman goalie Steve Meredith (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) got the win in his first start with a 4-1 decision over Chesapeake on Wednesday afternoon in Wye Mills, Md.

Sophomore Doug Baker (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) tallied his first point of the season with an assist in the second half and added his first goal 20 minutes later for a total of three points in the Fighting Owls’ (7-7-1, 4-6-0 MDJUCO) win over the Skipjacks (0-7-0, 0-7-0 MDJUCO).

Meredith faced just three shots from Chesapeake and made one save, while the Owls pelted Alex Rochester with 18 shots, seven of them on goal, who made three saves in the 90:00.

The Skipjacks tallied the first score of the game with a goal by Mike Turner after he beat all defenders at the 22:00 mark, but freshman Steve Landreth (Churchville, Md./Harford Tech) tied things up with a rocket from 20 yards out at the 35:28 mark, which both teams would carry into halftime.

Harford didn’t waste any time in the second half, however, as sophomore Curtis Ballard (Pylesville, Md./Harford Christian) ripped a shot from 23 yards out to give the Owls a 2-1 lead just over two minutes into the half.

Freshman Scott Covelly (Bel Air, Md./Fallston) added another goal off a pass from Baker through the middle in the 54th minute and Baker tallied the final goal of the game after taking a cross from freshman Alex Leadore (Aberdeen, Md./Aberdeen) at the 73:20 mark to give Harford the 4-1 win.

Harford also held a 2-0 advantage over Chesapeake in corner kicks.

The Fighting Owls return to action on Saturday, when they host Allegany at 1:00 p.m. in their final regular home game of the season at Harford Stadium.

Dance, Eat, Play And Plunder In Havre de Grace With The Pirates Of The Chesapeake

Three hundred and seventy-three years ago, or thereabouts, a small ship attempted to trade with Native Americans at Palmer’s Island, now known as Garrett Island, on the Susquehanna River at the top of the Chesapeake Bay. The ship never made it to the island - it was captured in what was dubbed the first act of piracy in Maryland.

Several centuries later, the Susquehanna Museum at the Lock House in Havre de Grace is celebrating the history of piracy on the Chesapeake with a Pirate Gala on July 12. Aside from eye patches, peg legs, shoulder-mounted parrots, plank-walking and an unimaginable number of scurvy-mouthed “arghs!,” the event will also feature a reggae band, an auction, food and beverage, a costume contest and a re-created pirate encampment. Continue reading Dance, Eat, Play And Plunder In Havre de Grace With The Pirates Of The Chesapeake