Lacrosse girls dominate their league opener

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Daria Burnosova

Sophomore Gigi Bottarini rushes forward on an offensive possession against Notre Dame High School on March 1st.

Daria Burnosova, Senior Reporter

As the girls’ lacrosse season starts up, the varsity team has formed with a lot of new faces. The girls are learning from each other after playing four preseason games between Feb. 22 and March 3, and they are working together to prepare for upcoming league matches.

The team is led by head coach Phil Wong and assistant coach Kasey Botelho. The team also has three co-captains, seniors Melia Choy and Ella Bradley, as well as junior Elizabeth Fitzgerald. Both coaches and the team’s captains help guide and push the team to reach their full potential.

“I’m excited for the season, I feel like we are rebuilding a new team,” Bradley said. “We have a lot of younger players, so I feel like as captains we get to set the team into the preseason mode and come closer as a team.” 

Through the Panthers’ four preseason games, the team has accumulated a 1-3 record, earning their first win on March 1 against Notre Dame High School, Belmont. After their preseason matches, the team played their first league game against Presentation High School. The Panthers’ won in a landslide with a final score of 23-0, pushing their overall record to 2-3 (1-0 in the West Bay Athletic League Skyline division).
The co-captains agree that the pre-season games helped the girls familiarize themselves with future competition and feel confident going into league matches.

“The first time is okay, you don’t know how a team is going to be like,” Fitzgerald noted. “But the second time, you know what to expect. I feel like the preseason games have definitely helped us boost our confidence.”

The girls hope to carry their dominant play against Presentation High School at their next home game on March 11, against Carlmont High School.