A year after the Maryland Bays were defeated by the Screaming Eagles, denying them a third straight Maryland Open Cup title, the Bays got their revenge. They defeated the Eagles 4-1 in the Maryland final March 9 to earn their third Rowland Cup championship (as it’s known locally) in four years.

With the win, the Bays will represent Maryland at the 2014 USASA Region I Finals, which will begin April 6. For their first round game at regionals, the Bays will travel north to the Philadelphia area to take on three-time defending Eastern Pennsylvania champion West Chester United. The winner of the Region I tournament will qualify for the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Before they reached the 100th Maryland Open Cup final, the Bays defeated two-time champion Christos FC 4-0 in dominant fashion in the semifinals.

Maryland played the game with finesse, and after a quiet opening half-hour the Bays exploded onto the scene. Chris Williams sent in a low cross across the box and Jon Ports let it take a bounce before hitting it on the half-volley to rocket the ball into the upper right corner to give the Bays a 1-0 lead.

Christos FC, one of Maryland’s league rivals, then changed tactics and chose to sit back and defend to see if they could get a goal on the counter. But the Bays offense continued to push forward for another breakthrough and they would get it in the 60th minute.

Elton Joe beat two Christos defenders on the left side of the box and slotted a pass across the box that broke through Christos’ tentative defense once again, allowing Chris Ports to tuck the ball into the back of the net after a dummy from brother Jon.

This seemed to be the straw that broke Christos defense’s back as just five minutes later Maryland’s Leitch beat another CFC defender and attempted a shot from inside the six-yard box that looked off target, until it hit another Christos defender and rolled in for an own goal.

Unfortunately for CFC the goal-onslaught wasn’t over as Chris Ports received the ball at half-field, dribbled past three defenders and slotted the it into the far right corner of the net past Christos goalkeeper Dan Louisignau to cement the Bays’ place in the final.

The semis wouldn’t be the only game that Maryland scored four goals as the Bays eased their way to a Rowland Cup championship after dismantling the Eagles.

Maryland’s high-powered offense really poured it on the Eagles and suffocated the chances the Eagles had offensively. It also stretched the Eagles defense, often to the point of breaking. The most spectacular break would come in the 60th minute.

After Bays goals by Jon Ports and Glenn Leitch, Aaron Beale took the ball out of the back and began to run with it playing a bit a of 1-2 with Colin Rome. Beale eventually received the ball in the penalty area and after cheekily avoiding three defenders, he was tripped up and awarded a penalty.

Chris Ports stepped up to the spot and delivered a shot to the right but saw his effort saved. Unfortunately for the Eagles goalkeeper, he only managed to deflect the ball off the line, watching it land right back at Ports’ feet for the easy tap-in to give the Bays a 3-0 advantage.

Maryland offense looked to open the scoring early as Ports slotted a through ball to the right side of the box for his brother, who drove a scorching shot off the post in the fifth minute.

It wouldn’t take the Bays much longer to find the goal as Glenn Leitch nodded in a 35-yard free kick delivered by John Taylor to open the scoring in the eighth minute. Next, Leitch would turn provider in the 20th as he beat his marker on the left side and drove a hard pass across the box at Jon Ports, who made a cheeky dummy and watched it slide between the goalkeeper’s legs to put Maryland up 4-0. The Bays then subbed out five players to run out the clock, but the scoring wasn’t finished.

The Eagles deposited a late penalty in the 86th minute but the damage had been done and Maryland became the 2014 Rowland Cup champions and will represent Maryland in the USASA Region I Finals.

2014 Maryland Open Cup qualifying results

(Rowland Cup)

First Round (Jan. 19)

Baltimore Kickers Bayern 3:1 Malawi FC

Washington Elite FC 6:4 (AET) Pipeline SC

Quarterfinals (Feb. 2)

ASA Charm City FC 3:1 Academy FC

Screaming Eagles 8:1 Baltimore Kickers Bayern

Christos FC 2:1 Washington Elite FC

Maryland Bays 2:1 Spartans FC

Semifinals (Feb. 23)

Maryland Bays 4:0 Christos FC

Screaming Eagles 4:2 ASA Charm City FC

Final (March 9)

Maryland Bays 4:1 Screaming Eagles

Past Maryland Open Cup champions

2014: Maryland Bays

2013: Screaming Eagles [recap] 2012: Maryland Bays [recap] 2011: Maryland Bays [recap] 2010: Charm City FC

2009: Christos FC

2008: Baltimore Colts FC

2007: AC United (Note: Christos FC & Allied SC merged)

2006: Allied SC*

2005: Baltimore Colts FC*

2004: Allied SC*

2003: Brilla Baltimore

2002: Christos FC

2001: DiPasquale Baltimore Colts FC

2000: Jerry D’s*

1999: Jerry D’s

1998: High Topps

1997: Casa Mia

1996: Casa Mia

1995: Casa Mia

*qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup