On Wednesday, April 17th, the girl’s lacrosse team beat the Archbishop Mitty Monarchs, 13-6.
The Bears started the first quarter with a spark, quickly bringing the ball down the field. Senior Shea Dekshenieks launched the ball into the net, scoring the first goal of the game. Keeping up the momentum, M-A was set up perfectly, allowing them to score two more goals immediately after.
Mitty managed to slip through the cracks of M-A’s defense, engaging in a series of quick passes that allowed Mitty to achieve a 3-2 lead. Their tough offense was furthered by Mitty’s severe aggression, which resulted in one player being ejected from the game after accidentally hitting an M-A player in the head with their stick. Another Mitty player stomped on an M-A player’s foot, causing the game to pause while the M-A player was wheeled off the field.
Sophomore Bailee Van Loben Sels reflected on the negative experiences she had playing Mitty in the past, particularly with over-aggression and taunting. She said, “I’ve never experienced a lack of sportsmanship to this level before. Even in this game, the girls on the field came at my teammates aggressively, so in all, it was just a tough game.”
Near the beginning of the second quarter however, the Bears strengthened their defense. Junior Hayden Frye and sophomore Molly Gray cornered every Mitty player that came near the goal, granting the offensive players the opportunity to score. The Bears capitalized on their strong defense, carrying their leadup to 10-5.
Frye said, “The beginning was a little tough because the score was going back and forth in the first and second quarter. There was a moment where we all realized that in order to win, we need to work together and give it all we got.”
Despite being behind four points in the beginning of the third quarter, Mitty kept up their ferocious offense, keeping the ball near M-A’s side. They squeezed the ball past M-A’s goalie, but for the most part, the defenders kept Mitty at bay. Their defense allowed freshman Lucy Gostyla to dash down the field with the ball and further M-A’s lead.
The fourth quarter began somewhat slowly, both sides struggling to score. After a long series of passes and turnovers, Dekshenieks managed to score another goal, ending the score at 13-6.
Van Loben Sels said, “I feel like we all really came together, and it was definitely the most connected the team has ever been. It was arguably one of the best games we’ve played.”
