The women’s varsity lacrosse team has had a strong start to the season. So far, they have achieved a 9-1 game record and a 10 goal per game average. The team’s dynamic plays a vital role in the consistent game play and wins. Each and every girl is dedicated and willing to work hard in order to develop a sense of team spirit.

This year’s team captains are Julianne Pretty, Tori Kimball, Megan Blawas, and Samantha Begin. Throughout previous seasons, these girls demonstrated leadership qualities which attributed to the entire team’s success both on and off the field.

“We really just work well as a team because we’ve been playing together for so long,” said senior Julianne Pretty. “Most of us have been individually playing lacrosse for many years so we have a pretty good understanding of the game.”

Though they are obviously at the peak of their performance, there is always room for improvement.

“Sometimes we have trouble getting help to someone who has been beaten one on one,” said senior Jessica Lynch. “We could always use improvement in that area and in the recovery process.”

Lacrosse is a mental as well as physical sport. It can cause a player to become overwhelmed with challenges; therefore, spawning anxiety.

“I play goalie. One of the hardest parts about playing that position is making sure I don’t let things get to my head,” said Jessica Lynch. “Lacrosse is a naturally high scoring game, and you really have to stay focused.”

Throughout this season the girls plan to focus more on their individual endurance. Different positions require different aspects of athleticism. As a midfielder, Megan Blawas understands that perseverance it crucial.

“As a midfielder I really have to rely on endurance because I spend a lot of time running from one side of the field to the other,” said senior Megan Blawas. “It’s all about grit and really trying to win.”

When a teammate is being challenged on the field by an opponent, the girls remain ready to attack or defend in any situation.

“The attack works really hard to make sure we rack up the goal count in the beginning of the game,” said senior Kimberly Lynch. “Our defense also does really well communicating so that we can get the ball back. We do a great job during the game maintaining composure after a one on one confrontation with an opposing player.”

As a coach, Dena Grasso has demonstrated the qualities that are key to every team’s success.

“Coach runs practice with patience and ease,” said Pretty. “She’s taught us to put each other first, not the game.”

Team chemistry is vital to team success. In order to mature as a whole, the girls have worked harder than ever to be more accepting and supportive this year.

“Since we have all been together for so long, we are really good at setting up opportunities for each other,” said Jessica Lynch. “Otherwise, we have some pretty cool underclassmen too.”

Even though the girls lost against Broughton this past Thursday, they refuse to let that batter their spirits.

“We might have lost, but we still have high hopes for winning the conference,” said Pretty.