The girls’ lacrosse team went 6-7 in the regular season and lost 17-2 to The Walker School in round one of the playoffs. They plan to use this season for growth and rebuilding.
The team’s loss of 4 key players to graduation , Sophie Ille, Shawn Gillespy, Katie Dwyer, and Vassar Lacrosse commit Zola Simone left the team looking to fill several gaps.
I feel like there’s a lot of room for improvement, junior captain Mia Otoski said. Our team was supported by the four seniors who graduated. We will have to make up for their loss.
To improve on the field, the team will rely upon their strong relationships as well as their chemistry.
Otoski stated that the best part of the team is the connections we all share. Although everyone has their own friend groups and friends, I believe that we are all becoming great friends. This helps with communication and team chemistry.
The Knights practice five days a week and play games throughout the spring semester. The captains hope that the team stays focused and continues to play lacrosse after school.
Emmy Friedman, senior captain, said that we need to improve our communication and commitment to the team because the season can be long. We need to improve our skills like throwing and catching. We need to practice outside of practice, and by ourselves. Everyone should be able to understand and improve their lacrosse IQs.
Some players train every weekend at specific gyms and participate in club teams all year. Ryan Carter, a sophomore, is one such player.
Carter said, “I have been going there called Fast Tad.” It is a private lacrosse center. I have also been making sure I’ve been exercising to prepare for the season.
The number of players who tried out for the team increased and led to a larger roster. ,
Otoski stated that we have some freshmen and some veterans who are returning from last year’s absence. They are a great addition to the team, I think. Not only do they need skills, but they also need commitment, friendship, and confidence.
With the addition of a new community coach, a volunteer living in the neighborhood, Dan Carter, who is also Carter’s dad, the team has added new leadership.
I believe he has a high level of lacrosse intelligence so he is really helping people with their needs, leading drills and plans. Freidman stated that he is particularly helpful when people don’t understand the concept. He is very good at explaining.
The first game of the teams is against East Paulding on February 24th. The team hopes this game will welcome in a few enjoyable months of lacrosse this season.
Otoski stated that we should be having fun this year. Of course, this means we are going to lose. However, in the past we were so focused on winning that we lost sight of the fact that we were often really bad. It’s just not healthy so I think we should go into the season with a mindset of just having fun.
