Girls’ lacrosse starts off league on a high note

With the loss of key players from last year’s team to graduation, including Christina Crolla, Christina Chin, Bridget Olsen, Sophia Ajanee and Varna Jammula, the girls on the lacrosse team are in a full rebuilding mode, and so far, their efforts are paying off.

Having a wave of new sophomores as well as new head coaches, the girls are striving to ensure this season will be just as successful as last year’s CCS run.

“At the beginning of the season when you start off with a new team, it’s not the easiest thing, you have to get used to working with your teammates and working together,” said coach Emilie Noyola, previously the 2014-2015 season jv coach.

Most recently, they won a tough match against the Los Altos Eagles on March 25.  

The girls began the game by scoring the first goal and maintained a strong lead throughout the game by scoring off offensive plays and transition. Attack players senior Talia Clement, Maya Kumar and sophomore Laira Bhurji had three goals apiece, and senior goalie Malia Oreglia had seven saves. By the second half, the girls were up nine goals and the game, leading to a 14-5 win.

The girls began this upward momentum with a strong preseason in which they won the three of the four games.

In the their first league game, the Falcons hosted the Los Gatos Wildcats on March 23 and delivered a huge 13-11 win. Though it was a close game filled with tense moments, the girls were able to hold a shaky one-point lead throughout the game, eventually scoring three goals at the end of the second half to ensure the win. Kumar scored five goals, Clement three and senior Midfielder Erin Norris scored two. Oreglia also had four saves.

“I think [winning against Los Gatos] is what we need in order to get the team going,” said coach Meghan Abcede, who was also previously the 2014-2015 season JV coach. “Especially with [the game] being the first home game, getting that morale was very important.”

With more practice and team bonding, Clement feels that the team will be able to overcome their lack of experience to be competitive this season.

“We lost 14 returning players and alumni this year,” said Clement. “But we have very athletic and skilled sophomore players, as well as some really great offensive plays and situations, so learning how to execute those effectively will really benefit us!”

According to both coaches, the team is beginning to gel as the season goes on. Many of the underclassmen girls are stepping up in practice and on the field during games taking key positions.

“Coaching the girls here at saratoga has been awesome, they’re all really hardworking, really dedicated to coming out here and improving each and every day,” said Abcede. “Their sportsmanship on and off the field is something you can’t always find with other teams and I think that makes them really unique.”

Due to printing deadlines, the Falcon was unable to cover the home game against Pioneer on March 30.