Coming out of halftime with a 4-3 lead, the junior varsity girls lacrosse team controlled possession and fought hard through the heat to secure a 10-4 win over Marin Academy on March 17.
Marin Academy scored early to take the lead, but Redwood responded quickly with a goal from sophomore Natalie Wittenkeller with 9:30 remaining in the quarter.
“It set off a good vibe for me for the game, and it started my momentum off strong,” Wittenkeller said.
From there, the Giants dominated the game, remaining in the lead as the second quarter ended at 4-3 with goals from sophomores Erin McGovern and Wittenkeller.
Sophomore Sophie Poindexter, who played goalie in the first half, said the majority of goals scored by Marin Academy came from penalty shots, which are hard to defend.
Head coach Bill Scott said that the halftime discussion encouraged focus and led to improved play.
“I told them at halftime to control the ball. We’re up a goal, let’s make sure they’re coming to us. So, we would have the opportunity to drive the lanes and use our superior stick handling to score big,” Scott said.
The adjustment proved effective, as the Giants scored six more goals in the second half while allowing just one. Wittenkeller and McGovern each scored two more goals, and sophomores Amelie Mostafavi and Ella Arnold each had one goal to bring the final score to 10-4.
“In the second half, we really gathered ourselves when we got the ball and were really working together as teammates,” Wittenkeller said.
Scott said the defense and the goalies, Sophie Poindexter and Scarlett Zola-Kahn, stepped up.
“We were about even on ground balls and turnovers, maybe a little ahead, but the defense was solid all day,” Scott said.
“Even if in the first half it seems to be close, we can still come out hot in the second half and get a solid win and to stay positive. I know that’s pretty cliche, but our team’s usually pretty positive about these games and keeping a good mentality and believing that we can win this,” Poindexter said.
Wittenkeller believes they are prepared for the upcoming Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) season and hopes to repeat last year’s undefeated record.
“Any game that we play is our game to lose. The question is, do we have the mental discipline to make sure it stays that way? That will be the test for these guys,” Scott said.
