Delaney Whittet
Staff Writer
Despite junior goalkeeper Jaelyn Carpenters incredible saves, she could not save the girls lacrosse from another loss. Girls lacrosse(6-7) fell to Chaminade College Preparatory High School on April 22 in a 7:00 home game. The final score was 5-9.
During the first half, the girls did well with defensive marking, but struggled to get possession of the ball and move the ball up the field. Carpenter positioned herself to make key saves and was able stayed composed under Chaminade’s offensive attacks.
“Chaminade’s offensive players were very skilled so I focused on their eyes and shoulders,” Carpenter said. “Since they were facing their shoulders where the ball was going and looked where they were shooting for a long period of time, I figure out where the ball was going and make the saves we needed.”
The girls gradually gained more possession and junior center Kayla Sugimoto and sophomore attack Kelli Mark created passing combinations that helped Costa to create scoring opportunities. The half ended with a score of 4-4 and Costa controlling the possession.
“In the first half, our transitions were very good and we were able to pass and move the ball quickly,” Mark said. “Jaelyn played really well and worked hard to make the saves we needed.”
At the start of the second half, Costa made good runs up the field, but struggled to capitalize on their opportunities. The defense did a good job staying organized despite Chaminade’s quick passing and Carpenter was able to stop most shots.
“Throughout the game, I think our defense was strong and quick to respond to Chaminade’s cuts,” Carpenter said. “I think we could really improve on controlling the ball and connecting our passes.
By the end of the game, the girls were continuously defending Chaminade’s attacks and unable to transition to the ball up the field. Although their defense stayed strong, they struggled to complete their passes and move the ball quickly enough. The game ended with a final score of 5-9.
“We played sloppy and weren’t able to connect our passes in the second half,” Sugimoto said. “In our next game, I hope we can come out as a strong, cohesive unit, work well together, and get the results that we need.”
According to coach Amanda Cross, the girls played strong defensively throughout the entire game and had good ball movement during the first half. She would like to see improvement in the team’s fundamentals.
“We had a good first half, but we need to work on accurate passing and picking up ground balls,” said Cross. “It would also be beneficial to improve our communication.”
Girls lacrosse will play their next game against Peninsula on April 24 in a 7:00 home game. In their last game against them, Costa lost to Penn by 1 goal.
“Before we play the game against Penn, I want to build on our fundamentals and for us, as a team, to focus on the parts of the game that we can control,” Cross said.
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