Girls’ Lacrosse

Head coach Phil Wang looks for two things in his girls’ varsity lacrosse players: athleticism and coachability. 

“And I guess lacrosse experience would be the third of the three,” Wang admitted. “We tell the new players, ‘We can’t coach athleticism. We can’t coach speed. Don’t worry about learning how to use a stick. We’ll teach you how to do that.’” 

That’s especially true this season, when well over half of the 18-player roster is new to the team. And as the lacrosse program continues to recover from pandemic-induced challenges, new players are a good thing for Wang and his squad. During the 2022 season, the varsity and junior varsity teams shared just 34 players — with 12 players on the field at a time, the two rosters were often short-handed. But this year, 42 attended tryouts, providing an unprecedented cushion for the program.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” Wang said. “It’s a strange goal, but at some point, if we’re forced to make cuts, that’s probably a good thing.”

But the team doesn’t lack experienced leadership — senior and returning co-captain Elizabeth Fitzgerald, who is currently sidelined by injury, will undoubtedly be a force during league play. 

“Elizabeth is our star,” said Wang, who has coached Fitzgerald on and off for six years. “I totally get her skill set, and she’s going to play for the University of Chicago next year, so I’m really proud of her for doing that.”

While Fitzgerald is relegated to cheering from the bench, other players have emerged on the field. Wang pointed to freshman Haleh Ansari as a young standout, alongside seasoned co-captains Mimi Cacciato and Gigi Bottarini.  

“I don’t know if [Ansari] is quite ready to take the spotlight yet,” Wang said. “She’s got a lot of skills. I’m not sure if she knows quite how good she is yet.”

The team is still finding their rhythm. Prior to their two pre-season games against Archbishop Mitty and Notre Dame-Belmont High School on Wednesday, Feb. 22 and Friday, Feb. 24, Wang had just one practice with the entire roster as players trickled back from their winter sports. Nonetheless, they sailed to a 15-2 victory over Notre Dame, and Wang expects their success to continue. 

“I think we can challenge for the top spot in our division,” Wang said. “I expect to be in a similar spot [to last year]. I think we are highly likely to have a very good season.”