The big snowstorm in February caused many problems for everyone, girls lacrosse included. CHS had to use the main gym for tryouts, as did all spring sports, which made it difficult for the players to show their skills and the coaches to really assess the players. The team tried to get what it could from indoor practices and looks to make up for the lost time when they are able to get outside.
“[We will] work hard and prepare in practices with the same intensity, as we will play in our games,” coach Christen Pena-Ariet said. “We are adjusting and for the past two days this past week we were able to go outside.”
Going all the way last year to regional finals undefeated, the Bulldogs did very well, but one question on people’s minds is can they do it again this season without one of their main players from last year, Angela Biciocchi, who had 71 goals, 24 assists and 26 forced turnovers.
“I think we need the whole team to step up,” Pena-Ariet said. “This is a new season and losing Angela hurts, but that’s going to happen as the years go on and we need to just focus on the present not the past or future.”
The big players for this year are expected to be seniors Zoe Kabelac and Sophia Ein and sophomore Mairin Hall. Kabelac was the main scorer last year, who had 80 goals, and is expected to fulfill the same expectations, while Ein will try to have the most assists again.
“Based on our returning girls, Zoe was our leading goal scorer and Sophia was one of our leaders if not the leader for assists,” Pena-Ariet said. “Both are seniors and both need to be prepared to work even harder now that people know who they are. Other girls who are new will need to step up to our team intensity, aggressiveness, and will to win.”
Lacrosse is a sport of endurance and stick handling and passing. The Bulldogs will need to have that factor of endurance and passing skills. One of the ways they were so successful last year was because of their endurance and hunger to win.
“We will mix it up this year,” Pena-Ariet said. “We want to definitely be in shape so that we can out run our opponents for the entire duration of the game.”
