Girl’s Lacrosse has opened the season with a 3-3 record and is looking for some more wins under their belt. They are currently 1-2 for home games and 2-1 for away games. As of right now, they are on a two-game winning streak.
The Wolverines opened their season against the Woodbridge Warriors. The Warriors were expected to put on a good fight against the girls based on their previous year’s success in league and CIF. Despite Aliso’s best effort, they fell short with a final score of 11-17. Some players that stood out in the game were Reagan Swindall (11), with three goals and three assists, and Hannah Mottaghi (11), with two caused turnovers and two ground balls.
Head Coach Bob Mezeul says, “It’s always unfortunate to lose the first game of the season. However, it helps us build up a stronger team connection and progression rate quicker compared to a weaker team.”
By facing tough competition during the early stages of the season, you’re guaranteeing a more prepared team for facing off against teams in the league and possibly in CIF.
The second game of the season was against the Newport Harbor Sailors. This game was neck and neck from the beginning. Luckily, the Wolverines pulled through in a 14-12 victory. On the offensive end, junior Luna Kitsu was the biggest help for the Wolverines, with six goals. On the defensive end, senior Zoey Roth caused six ground balls.
Aliso went on a two-game losing streak after playing the sailors. Their first game was against the Tesoro Titans. They lost 4-7 because their shot attempts and percent made shot attempts were significantly lower than average. If they were to rematch, Aliso would have a good chance of winning. Their second game was against the Laguna Beach Breakers. Going into this game, the Wolverines knew the Breakers would be tough due to their skilled defensemen and goalie. The game ended 6-11.
The next two games proved to be much more successful than the previous two.
When asked about what their recent success should be accredited to, Coach Mezeul says, “Our midfield is very strong. Team spirit remains our strongest asset. However, the Junior Varsity players we’ve brought up have proven to be a big help as well.”
On Feb 28. Aliso played the Esperanza Aztecs. They dominated the whole game, with an incredible offensive performance by Swindall, with a total of 11 points broken up by six goals and five assists. On the defensive end, Kitsu put up another impressive game with three ground balls and three caused turnovers. The game ended with the Wolverines scoring 19 and the Aztecs scoring 10.
Their most recent game was on Mar. 5 against Sage Hill Lightning. Much like their game against the Lightning last year, the girls started out strong from the gate and had a ten-point lead going into half-time. From there, the Wolverines slowed it down a bit, but the Lighting quickly used this advantage and scored six goals. From there, Coach Mezeul told the girls to go at their original pace to keep the game in check. The Wolverines did this successfully and ended the game with a score of 19-11.
Varsity player, Mariko Honda (10) says, “We knew going into the game that Sage Hill wasn’t a good team, so it was nice to have a very successful game before league starts.”
The Wolverines’ last non-league game is on March 10 against the Valencia Tigers, and after that, they begin league play with the Mission Viejo Diablos.
