Girls Lacrosse Welcomes Return to Midwood Field
The Girls Lacrosse team is excited to have their field back. Photo Credit: Dulene Pierre
By NADIAH SHOHATEE and ANISA KALOSHI
Girls Lacrosse earned their first victory of the year April 1 with a 9-8 win against Brooklyn Tech. Most of all, the team is excited about having Midwood field back.
Shelly Yousoufov ’21 said, “We did so well. we communicated beautifully, and our chemistry as a team was amazing.”
Last season, the team had to practice in the Marine Park field due to the reconstruction of Midwood Field.
“We were ‘homeless’ last season, and that definitely played a role on the vibe of the team,” said Ms. Kendra Lane, the lacrosse team coach, “I’m hoping that having an actual home field this year will build our sense of school spirit and team pride.”
Lacrosse can be a difficult sport to practice when you don’t have a perfectly lined field.
“Having practice at Marine Park was a huge disadvantage last year,” said Kelly Wong ’21. “It set us back by not having the space to practice the restraining lines, and the ground wasn’t suitable enough for playing lacrosse.”
This year, the brand new remodeling of Midwood Field has made it easier to prepare, especially when trying to find cohesiveness in a practice consisting of 50 players at a time.
The team practices every day at the field from 3:45 pm to 5:45 pm, with warm-ups, structured partner passing routines, sprints, and always ending with a cheer.
“It can sometimes be a bit of a three-ringed circus because we share the field space with Flag Football and Boys Lax,” said Ms. Lane. “In April, there is a game every single day, so it’ll be interesting to see how we are able to get field space in.”
Compromise and time management are important aspects of the team’s success, especially since both coaches are guidance counselors.
“It’s all about finding balance,” said Ms. Lane.
According to Ms. Marguerite Allen, assistant coach of the girls lacrosse team, the main goal of this season is to see all of the players improve on the field.
“I am looking forward to the players learning the game of lacrosse and enjoying playing the sport,” said Ms. Allen. “We have many new players this season, so the main focus is to see growth.”
Alongside the coaches’ goals, the girls are looking forward to making this season their best one yet.
Yousoufov said, “Communication plays a big part in the game. I hope we can expand on everything throughout the season.”
Jeanine Toussaint ’21 wants to focus more on improving her stamina, getting more shots, and getting open for a pass.
“I’m looking forward to making a lot of shots on goal this season and just playing the best I can during games,” said Toussaint.
Elizabeth Bozo ‘21 is focusing on improving her technique on the field as well as becoming quicker on her feet.
“I want to improve on my catching and throwing,” said Bozo, “as well as recognizing where to be when an offensive player has the ball, and shooting for sure.”
With senior year approaching, goalkeeper Erika Lee ’20 is looking into colleges with good lacrosse teams so she can continue playing after high school.
“My father, who played in high school, encouraged me to join the Midwood team, and I want to continue after high school, maybe play on Club Division or Division III,” said Lee.
Bozo, a sophomore, still has two years to decide. However, she is also hoping that the college she decides to go to has a lacrosse team so she can continue playing.
“I really enjoy playing the sport, and if the college I decide to attend has a lacrosse team, I would love to join,” said Bozo.
Although the girls are focusing on becoming stronger on the field, their friendship among the whole team has grown strong as well.
Wong said, “We’ve gotten closer since the beginning of the season. We have better sportsmanship, and we continue to encourage and support one another. It’s like one big family.”
With a 1-4 record thus far, the lacrosse girls are staying positive and trusting their team chemistry to pull through with a successful season.
“Our first two games were a learning experience,” said Wong. “Once we continue to work out the kinks, things will begin looking very different.”
Defender Carelle Zak ’21 said, “Our greatest strength would be our team’s bond. Everyone is super fun and nice, and when everyone is friends, we play more like a team.”
Ms.Allen said she is most proud of her girls when they give 100% effort on the field, whether they win or lose.
“My proudest moment as a coach has been watching the girls come together as a team and supporting each other’s efforts.,” she said.
Ms. Lane said, “The girls this year are hard-working and eager to learn. They aren’t afraid to put in the time and effort to become better players. They are a really good group of girls, and I feel like their good energy and positive attitude are setting us up to have a really good season, even if it ends up being a sort of ‘rebuilding year.’”