Girls seek district title with young team
By KATIE EDWARDS
“Ladies, left hand in. Why? Because it is closest to our hearts” is heard by the crowd, as the girl’s varsity lacrosse team gets ready to hit the field.
Despite having a new coach and a young team, the girl’s varsity lacrosse team hopes to make it to districts with a current 5-2 record.
“We have a young team, so it is going to take a while for us all to get together. The seniors have done well leading the team,” senior Alexandra Murray said.
The girls played the Cypress Creek Bears March 8, winning 14-2 on the Bears’ home turf. Even with the win, they felt they played “down to Cypress Creek’s level” and could have come out with a far greater gap in the score.
“We are good at trusting each other and working as a team. As well as transitioning up the field. We do need to work on passing, catching and ground balls; the basics,” Murray said.
Thursday, March 3, the girls took on Hagerty, who came back after half time; however, the girls held them winning 13-11.
“Hagerty was exciting towards the end we were only up by one but we came back and won the game,” junior, Lindsay Miller said.
Miller has scored 24 goals so far this season averaging 4 goals a game, making her the lead scorer on the team.
The girls and boys played a double header against East River March 1, with the girls winning 13-3.
“I want to have a better ratio of goals I block and goals made. We are doing well right now,” junior Elizabeth Miller, goal keeper, said.
On Saturday, Feb. 26, the girls travelled to Gainesville and dominated Oak Hill, 12-0, and Gainesville ,12-2.
“I want each player to grow individually, mentally and physically. This season is going better than expected; the players are really grasping the concept of the game,” head coach Meg Lane said.
The girls lost their first game against Lake Mary, 4-16, which was the first game of the season and the first time the girls all played together. The team felt if they had to chance to play them again it would be a better match up after all of the practice they have had.
“This year we will kick some serious booty and win districts,” Murray said.
Tonight the girls play a district game against Lake Highland Prep at 7:30 p.m. on their field. The girls have to win to go to districts.
Chemisty lays winning foundation
By SARA CASLER
The boys lacrosse team has had a nearly perfect record so far, but it is not all because of skills. The team has benefited from something that has been missing in years past: team chemistry.
Senior attack William McClellan believes it is a colossal part of why the lacrosse team is currently 5-1. This is the best start to a season that the team has seen in five years, and it currently ranks them as second in the conference and third in the state of Florida.
“This is the best team, as far as closeness, that I have seen in awhile. We mesh together,” McClellan said.
Junior starter attack John Kissick agrees with his team mates and remains optomistic about the upcoming season.
“We all trust each other. Every game, everyone is in sync,” Kissick said.
Coach Elliott Whitton views the teamwork he sees in the team as one of its keys to success.
“Honestly, this is [the season with the fewest obstacles] that I have seen in 11 years of coaching [lacrosse]. The kids know what we ask of them, and so far, they have delivered,” Whitton said.
Most of the players on the team have been playing club lacrosse together for up to five years, allowing the teammates to become brothers, figuratively.
“When we play together, we know what everyone else is going to do. We know we can trust each other,” senior lacrosse captain and starting midfielder Andrew Conley said.
The newfound brothers hope to use their camaraderie to continue with their already successful season.
“We have beaten who we are supposed to beat, like University and the smaller schools, but we really haven’t overachieved yet. We have to beat the teams that we haven’t before,” Kissick said.
Even with victorys motivating the team, the players do not let their wins get to their heads.
“We just try to keep it business as usual,” Kissick said.