by Noah Holman
Like the basketball team, girls lacrosse aims to demonstrate they are just as strong of a team as they were last year in winning the regional championship for the second year in a row. Again similar to the basketball team,some key players graduated last year. Neither Coach Elizabeth Nave nor her players believe they are any less of a threat this year than last, but inevitably all sports teams have their skeptics. The girls team currently has a 4-4 W-L record. So far, the most competitive game they’ve played was against Century, where they lost 11-8. They also expected to have a close game with their biggest competition, Middletown High School.; they won, 6-3.
Losing some valuable seniors last year, the new freshman and returning players from last year had to step up their game..
“(Seniors) Carly Heine and Olivia Cunha are our captains and our leaders, but the whole team does their part,” said returning Sophomore Erin Hoyle.
Among the new players that have filled important roles this year are Freshmen Olivia Schwiegerath, starting on attack, and Sophomore Ashley Adams, starting on defense. Junior Hannah Clingan isn’t a new player to the varsity team, but she has found a new role. Clingan has been taking the draw for the Bears this season and has been doing well in her new position.
Overall, the team has attacked this season with the same intensity they did last year, and expect to share the same level of success, with new players. They’ve continued the same traditions they had last season, like meeting in Coach Nave’s room on game days to practice team bonding for about three hours. In this time, they help get each other focused and ready to play. Building off of last year’s success, the team and coaching staff uses strategies that worked well last year to achieve the regional championship they achieved last year, but also recognize their mistakes and work on what needs improvement.
Coach Nave says without hesitation that her expectations heading into the postseason are “to win the region and go to states.”
The girls lacrosse team is enthusiastic to prove that they’re just as much of a force to be reckoned with as they were last year, not fearing any opponents that come in their path on the way to play-offs.
