“I love the fact that they’re fighting to the end. Can we celebrate the fact that they’re fighting to the end?” Assistant Coach Billie Buck said.
The varsity girls lacrosse team’s mindset against University High School was not one concerned with the outcome, but one in constant preparation for their future matchups. The game got off to a quick start with junior Phoebe Miller scoring the first three goals. With six seconds left in the first quarter, the Giants scored their tenth goal. As the buzzer sounded to end the quarter, the Giants ran into their huddle leading 10-0.
To start the second quarter, freshman Alegra Fazal took the draw. Since the Giants had such a strong lead throughout the game, the team felt comfortable trying new strategies. Having Fazal take the draw was one of them. Senior captain Lucy Miller expressed how the game served mainly as preparation for upcoming, more challenging matchups.
“We really wanted to use this game to prepare for our game on Thursday against [Sacred Heart Preparatory]. We know that that’s going to be a really tight game. This game might not have been as close, so we were using this game as practice,” Miller said.
The second quarter was filled with the Giants’ dominance. The girls went goal after goal as they moved the ball up the field and extended their lead to 14-1 heading into halftime.
Despite the Giants’ lead, they still had more to show. Head Coach Lauren Yee thinks highly of her team and looks forward to the rest of the season.
“I think [this game] is a good example of what this team is capable of. We have not even come close to scraping the surface of what they can achieve, so a lot of this is still us just finding our footing. Once we do, I have no doubt we’re gonna have a lot of moments where the tide just really turns on one play,” Yee said.
The first goal in the third quarter came after a penalty attempt by sophomore Riley Buck. Buck initially scored, but the referee waved it off as a foul. On the following attempt, Buck found the back of the net once again – this time it counted. The Giants flew around defensively and nearly held University to another scoreless quarter until the last seconds, when University scored a buzzer-beater to end the third quarter. The Giants led 16-2 entering the fourth and final quarter.
Throughout the game, the Giants continuously showed their dominance over University. Still, as Yee pointed out, the team still has much of the season ahead.
“We’ve [played] maybe five games at this point, and I would say probably over 50 percent of our goals have been assisted. That’s always what we’re aiming for: to get that ball moving. We don’t want to be one-dimensional, so being able to hit cutters and see our teammates in open space is kind of that next dimension that we’re trying to add, because we do have a lot of athleticism and skill,” Yee said. “If we can be not just great one-v-one dodgers, but also great feeders and great at creating space and opportunities for our teammates, then it makes us a triple threat.”
The road to winning the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) championship, which they lost last year to Marin Catholic, and winning the North Coast Section (NCS) titles in back-to-back years still has a long season ahead. Buck scored four goals, one of which came off an interception, and believes in her teammates for the long haul this season.
“I think what makes our team special is that we’re super adaptable and we work together to fix things [if] we’ve been having trouble,” Buck said.
Another key to the team’s success is its closeness on and off the field. Jennifer Hewlette, the mother of sophomore player Moni Hewlette, enjoys watching the girls support each other through all aspects of high school life.
“These girls are so supportive of each other, and they are teammates and friends on the field but also off the field. I’ve seen some of the younger girls get tips and guidance from the older girls on classes to take or what to consider for the next year when they’re planning how to succeed at Redwood. I think that they love playing, they love competing and they enjoy spending this time together,” Hewlette said.
The final 12 minutes of the game brought more of the same for the Giants, with goals from junior Ellie Washing and Buck to solidify the win. University did double their goals, however, leaving the final score 18-4. The Giants look ahead to their home game on Thursday, March 12, against tougher competition. They will face what Yee called “one of, if not the, best teams in the Bay Area.” The Giants are undefeated this season, and the next few games will test their true team strength.
As for the game against University, it was a team win.
“The famous saying from John Wooden is, ‘The team is the star.’ That was 100 percent what you saw today. [There were] contributions from all the girls,” Hewlette said.
