GV Lax Opens Season with Scrimmages
A Lincoln-Sudbury high midfielder charges past the restraining line toward Exeter’s goalkeeper. Senior and co-captain Anna Reaman declares her presence with a soaring “I got ball!” and charges up to confront the player while still covering her defensive mark. The opposing player attempts to pass the ball past Reaman, but out of nowhere, she extends her stick out and snatches the ball from Sudbury’s possession. Hauling the ball towards midfield, Reaman develops yet another offensive opening for Big Red.
Last Sunday, the girls’ varsity lacrosse team competed in a four game pre-season tournament at Lincoln Sudbury High School. Each game lasted 20 minutes and remained unscored. Deviating from the the normal 50-minute and scored games, these scrimmages allowed the team to prepare for a grueling season ahead by garnering experience through game simulations. Additionally, from game to game, head coach Christina Breen mixed and matched the combination of players on the field. Thus, every uninjured member of the team was able to receive playing time.
Though the first couple games started off for Big Red, the team soon found its groove and went on to end the day with a definitive win against Sudbury. Senior Vivienne Kraus explained how the team abandoned their sluggish beginning, saying, “We got off to a slow start, but by the last game we had picked it up, [becoming] a more cohesive team.” Lower Dennesha Rolle agreed with Kraus and explained how she “felt more confident after the tournament.”
An important aspect of these early season competitions is the identification of strengths and weaknesses in the team’s gameplay for them to analyze and improve upon in practices. Rolle expressed her belief that it would be beneficial for the team to “work on settled offense and communication all over the field. We also should spend time working on defensive rotations and settled offensive plays.” Upper Bella Hillman shared similar sentiments, adding, “The teams brought a lot of competition to the field and each game was a hard fight for our team. The tournament for our team showcased what we need to work on for our season, particularly ball movement and smarter plays.”
Members of the team highlighted areas in which the team excelled during scrimmages, especially during the last game. “We were doing a better job in the midfield than we had been, we were pressuring more and we had higher energy,” Kraus said.
Hillman also expressed her belief on aspects the team performed well in. “We definitely did a good job of finding each other on the field and making heads up plays on the fly. It was nice getting to play after a fun, long few days in Florida with the team last week,” she said. Senior Margaret Kraus added, “One of our strengths is definitely our speed. We’re definitely going to focus on that.”
Vivienne Kraus elaborated on positive highlights from the matches. “In the last game, there were a lot of moments that would have gone on our highlight reel. [Senior] Charlotte Polk and I had a really good time cheering on our teammates on the bench. Anna Reaman had a really sick pick. [Senior and co-captain] Lauren Arkell killed it in the midfield. It was just nice to see everyone working together a little bit better and a little more smoothly,” she said.
With some playing action under their belts, the girls are focused on achieving an undefeated season this year. With a near perfect record of 16-1-1 last season – their sole loss against Noble and Greenough School – the team will be looking to build upon their rich history of success. Last season, the team’s games were filled with highlights. They had a 10-9 OT win against Deerfield, a sweet revenge after a loss the year before. They won in a dramatic fashion, down 7-9 with 45 seconds to go in the game. With two quick goals, Big Red forced an overtime and then copped a win. However, the climax of last season was E/a on home turf. The girls dominated the entire game and won 11-4, leaving Andover in a chilling loss.
As for this season, there is a lot of time left and the team is gearing up for greatness. Hillman expressed her excitement about this year’s team, a relatively juvenile one. “I’m looking forward to seeing how the younger kids on our team do, especially because we have a young team this year,” she said. “A lot of our team is going to have to emerge on the field and step up into positions that they’ve never played before.”
Coming off of preseason in Florida, the team remains in good shape. They had a lot of fun in the Sunshine state and got a lot done in preparation for the season. At the moment, everyone is elated to be back. According to Rolle, “I’m excited to see how much the team can improve and learn throughout the season.”