Marriotts Ridge Girls’ Lacrosse looked doomed on March 25. A 14-9 loss to Severna Park followed a season-opening 10-9 defeat to rival Glenelg High School. The defense struggled and playoff dreams appeared over before they could begin.
Marriotts Ridge had not won either of their first two games for the first time since 2014. They began that season with two ties against Atholton and River Hill. Rebounding from the worst start in over a decade provided slim odds of success.
Head Coach Amanda Brady spoke with CSZ Network about the team’s mindset after a disappointing start.
“Girls were bought-in all season. They didn’t think twice about being 0-2. They knew both opponents were quality and they knew we were quality. We continued to step up with confidence,” Brady said.
A sharpened defense turned the season around for the Mustangs. After opening the year by allowing double-digit goals in both games, Marriotts Ridge held opponents to fewer than 10 goals in 14 of their following 18 games, including the playoffs. The Mustangs did not lose any of those 14 games.
The team also made steps forward with their road performance. Across 2023 and 2024, road matchups became a team kryptonite, accounting for all six regular-season losses in those two seasons. The Mustangs won five games on the road during the regular season, the most since 2022.
Finishing with a 9-4-1 record earned them a playoff berth and the Mustangs knew that a rematch with Severna Park could be in play. Brady explained how Marriotts Ridge transferred regular-season success into playoff consistency.
“We repped defensive clears pretty regularly leading into the playoffs and worked hard on our footwork, knowing we’d potentially see their powerful midfield again — they’re so fast. The footwork we focused on paid off because our [midfielders] and defenders did an excellent job,” Brady said.
Marriotts Ridge posted a +53 goal differential in the playoffs, winning four of their six games by more than five goals. They flipped the script in close games, winning two one-goal games after going 0-2 during the season.
On May 21, Marriotts Ridge faced Severna Park in the MPSSAA Class 3A Girls Lacrosse State Championship. The Mustangs fell behind early after a goal in the first 15 seconds of play, but rallied back, just as they did during the year, to pull off a thrilling 11-10 comeback win. Their defense showed up late with a shutdown fourth quarter that proved critical.
Sports Illustrated began a weekly ranking for DMV Girls’ Lacrosse programs at the beginning of the 2025 season. They placed Marriotts Ridge 19th after the first game of the season. Their .777 winning percentage and playoff run in 2024 sat behind schools with sub-500 records and unachieved playoff berths.
The Mustangs boosted their standing more than any other program, jumping from 19th to 11th between the beginning and end of the season. They spent 10 of the season’s 11 weeks in 19th or lower, even with a 9-2-1 stretch in the middle of the season.
The Mustangs surged in the season’s final two weeks. After being cut from the top 25 on April 28, Marriotts Ridge placed 24th on May 19 and surged 13 spots to end the year. No program rose that many spots throughout the season or between weeks. Marriotts Ridge is one of two schools, alongside St. Mary’s, to join the top 15 after opening the year on the outside.
Brady shared that the team tuned out the rankings and focused on the games themselves. She reflected on the season’s journey.
“I knew by the end of the season people would start to know our name — it just took all of us to do it,” Brady said.