The field is the only escape from the high expectations that surround the Birmingham Girls Lacrosse team. With two state championships in the past two years, the girls are again expected to be a powerhouse in high school Division 1 Lacrosse.
With an exciting start to the season, the team is 7-1, with victories over Ann Arbor Huron and Grosse Pointe South, including scrimmages and tournaments. Their only loss has been to Ann Arbor Pioneer by 2. Paced by leading scorers Brooke MacGregor, Carly Signorello, and Kate Murray, the team was able to overcome the loss of three of the team’s best players.
During the first few games, seniors Zoe Smith, Rachel Miller and Nancy Miner were ineligible, but now that they are back, the team looks to make another run for the state title.
“We’re hoping to have a three-peat this year,” said Smith, a captain. “The team has been playing really well without the suspended players. The fact that we have won all of our games so far without some of our strong players really reassures us of how good we’re going to be this season.”
Their brief absence wasn’t the only setback the team has had to overcome. With the loss of nine graduated seniors, this year’s senior class sees this season as an opportunity to prove themselves.
“It’s definitely a big change,” said Smith. “The biggest loss from the seniors is the defense and the communication on the field, but we’re getting more and more used to it.”
As the team works to adapt to the changes, they are also working very hard to bridge the gap between seniors, juniors, and underclassmen.
“All the seniors have a lot of experience playing on varsity which will help out the younger players,” said senior Julia Carnovale. “We all want to win states again because we know what an accomplishment it is, so that will help motivate the team.”
Another adjustment has been finding the right team chemistry between teammates.
“We don’t have any more drama than any other team,” said Captain Smith. “Of course we’re gonna (sic) have some arguments, but overall, we get along real well.”
After a three week layoff, the team returns to action April 20th, as the girl’s faceoff against Cranbrook Kingswood.
