Sports
Undefeated Fun for Hartland Ladies Lacrosse
Hartland girls lacrosse team prepares for another successful season.
By Aaron Skomial
The last time we talked about high school women’s lacrosse, it was a major disappointment.
The girls had played their guts out and came up short with 10 seconds left in overtime in the State championship game. The loss still lingers and the questions regarding the loss are still not answered. So how does a great team rebound from adversity? They play a lot of summer lacrosse, tan, relax, and tie up the cleats and get back to work once school starts.
Find out what's happening in Hartlandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Over the past two weekends, Hartland has participated in two tournaments. On October 28, Hartland played at Grand Valley State University. They participated in the 5 v 5 Spooktaculax tournament. The tournament requires the players to dress in costumes and play lacrosse. The girls went as Cats and they played like Lions. The team featured (3) seniors, (1) junior, (3) sophomores, and (2) freshman.
They defeated some of the best teams in the area and came back in two games to go undefeated on the day. The team went 5-0 and some new players in the program helped propel the team. With the middle school program continuing to grow, the high school program gets some experienced players that help keep the program competitive.
Find out what's happening in Hartlandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Last year, Hartland graduated 12 players from the high school team. There are talented kids waiting to contribute on varsity and there are incoming freshmen that will push some of the older players. A lot of the kids that remain on the team from last year played on summer travel teams. The loss in the State Championship game motivated the players to push themselves to get better and hopefully get back to the BIG GAME in 2013.
On November 4, the kids competed in the 19th annual 7 v 7 Michigan Chapter of US Lacrosse fund raiser. All of the funds from the tournament go to the chapter so it can continue support the growth of lacrosse in the state. The kids didn’t have to dress up in uniforms, but they bundled up to play in the cold. The team featured (3) seniors, (1) junior, (3) sophomores, and (1) freshman.
The team started slowly in the first game against a Perrysburg, OH team, but about mid-way through the game, the team loosened up and they defeated the Ohio team handily. The rest of the day had teams from Grosse Pointe, Ann Arbor, Cranbrook Kingswood, and Birmingham.
Each team that took the field against the girls from Hartland went down in flames. The average margin of victory was eight goals. The girls from Hartland played great defense and moved the ball unselfishly around the field. The goaltending at both tournaments was outstanding.
Hartland appears to be on their way back to a successful season in 2013. The team has a new coaching staff and they are excited about the opportunities that await them. The kids will continue to work hard and they will definitely look to compete at the highest level in 2013.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.