By Leo Corman ’15

An impressive season for the girls’ lacrosse team came to an end on May 17 with an 11-8 loss to Catonsville in the state semifinal. The Warriors finished the season with a record of 13-2, going undefeated against county opponents.

The Warriors fought hard against a tough Catonsville team that eventually lost to Severna Park in the state final.  Catonsville’s defense kept the Warriors scoreless for 22 minutes in the middle of the game, giving them a 10-5 lead in the second half.  The Warriors made a late comeback to close the gap, scoring three quick goals in the final five minutes, but in the end the deficit was too much to overcome.

While the Warriors were disappointed that they could not reach the state championship as they did last season, the team nonetheless was content with what they accomplished during the season.  “I think the season was definitely successful not just because we won most of our games but because we worked really well together” said sophomore Ella Booz, who scored the winning goal against Howard to send the Warriors to the state semifinal game.

Despite the loss of key graduating seniors like Emily Kenul, one of the best lacrosse players to ever come out of Montgomery County, the team has high hopes for next season.  “It’s going to be very difficult to replace our seniors, but our team has depth.  Every single person who didn’t start has so much skill and potential,” said sophomore Karleigh Gibbons.  “As long as we have perseverance and energy throughout the game we can win anything.”

Coach Kelly Hughes echoed that same sentiment.  “People like Emily Kenul can never be replaced but we can create depth to our team and stay a huge threat,” said Hughes.  “The other seniors like Natalie Sebeck and Kristen Lauda offered great leadership, and some of the younger girls will need to step up and take on that role.”

Besides a core group of seniors, the Warriors had a very young team this past season, and the experience that the sophomores and juniors gained this season will likely benefit them next year.  The team will continue to set the bar high next season.  “We won’t keep getting better if we expect anything less,” said Hughes.