by Kimia Pakdaman
Editor-in-Chief
Both the girls’ and boys’ lacrosse season starts in March for its second year of competition. Both teams did astonishingly well last year and expect to do even better this season.
The girls’ lacrosse team has been training at Cross-Fit Cadence gym, a new fitness center on University Avenue. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the girls go to work out with the intense and physically-demanding Cross-Fit routine. In addition to working out, the team has been playing on the field in preparation. “We do a variety of drills for defense, offense, footwork, and agility,” said junior and captain Noel Painter. In the first weeks of practice the team will review the rules of the game. “And then once everyone has all the cobwebs out, so-to-speak, then we will move on to harder drills,” explained Painter.
The team has high hopes for the season. “Last season, we had a record of [nine wins and six losses]. So this year, the team wants to improve its winning record,” said Painter. Senior Megan Long commented, “We have a ton of new girls wanting to try out for the team, and we are really excited about the turn out.” With the same coach, Megan Steck, the team will be focusing on technique and set plays.
On the boys’ side, though the team has not been training together, the players have been playing in outside leagues to keep themselves warmed-up for the season. Seniors Cam Smith, Ryan Donovan, Nathaniel Hall, and junior Zac Karr, the captains of the team, feel the season will turn out well. “I’m excited about our season this year. I think we have a lot of potential to go far,” said Karr. Some of the top players include senior Steven Weinschenk, Smith, and Donovan. “Steven is a hard worker and great ball handler. [He] is great at defense and a threat on offense,” commented Hall.
With these players, and their coach, Jason Rann, the team is planning to have a successful season. “We definitely have the ability to go undefeated in our season, but it all depends on how we play in close games,” predicted Smith. The players, playing during the summer and independently of the school, feel that they have improved greatly.
The girls’ and boys’ lacrosse team have a hard season ahead, but with the girls’ intensive practice and conditioning and the boys’ continuous playing, the upcoming season seems to hold many wins.