The girls lacrosse team (10-2) was nearly defeated on Senior Night. Playing against Woodside (6-4), the game continued into overtime with a game-winning goal by senior attacker Kate Fitzgerald, securing a 12-11 victory for the Dons.
“We knew that it was going to be a tough game,” said senior attacker Annie Martin. “They beat Burlingame and Burlingame beat us.”
Woodside opened the game by scoring in the first minute.
“We were a little all-over the-place,” said sophomore midfielder Mikayla Fahrenbruch. “I didn’t really feel like our heads were in the game.”
However, the Dons quickly recovered and were able to score then gain the lead, thanks to goals from Martin and senior attacker Alana Halpin.
The rest of the first half continued in an upward trend for Aragon, with the Dons building their attack from the back. Ending at halftime up 7-4, the Dons had goals from Halpin, Martin, Fitzgerald and senior attacker Emma Clarke.
“The seniors help mentor us and they all contribute a lot to the team,” Fahrenbruch said. “We have seniors that can play everywhere and they’re great role models, they carry the confidence to lead us well.”
With Woodside scoring first again to open the second half. The Wildcats made strong efforts to come back and tie the game 9-9 with 10 minutes remaining. After scoring twice more, the Wildcats led by two with five minutes left in regulation. With a penalty from Fitzgerald and another goal from Clarke, the Dons forced the game into overtime.
In overtime, Fitzgerald scored the golden goal to secure the win for the Dons. It was a moment to remember, especially for the seniors.
“We’ve been here through it all. The start of the program, our first season, we lost every single game,” Martin said. “Seeing this team grow and come this far, especially this season, it’s extremely rewarding.”
Sitting with an overall record of 10-2 and sitting first in the WBAL with a record of 7-0 in league play, the team’s season continues on as they aim for WBAL playoffs.
Becoming closer as teammates and as friends is a large part of the team.
“I love how well we work together,” Clarke said. “That makes the experience that much more fun, because it’s hard to succeed when we aren’t working together.”
Head coach Kalyn Olson also feels that the team’s cooperation greatly in their ability to play the best version of lacrosse they can play.
“On average, we have seven players on the stats board a game,” Olson said. “Everyone is a threat to score, and that’s what makes our team dangerous.”
In tougher games, the same strategies of playing together as a team are utilized, but with more of a sense of urgency and organization.
“It’s more togetherness and unification,” said senior defender Allie Kotowitz said. “It works well for us because all of our players, on and off the field, we’re good friends.”
The chemistry, combined with the added strategies and organization, as well as being friends on and off the field, adds to the experience as a whole.
“We play clean, team defense, receiving far less yellow cards than other teams,” Olson said. “We’ve built such a cohesive defensive unit based around good communication.”
Having many different players, each with their own playing style, helps to contribute to that balanced attack.
“In my opinion, this team is special because we are not built around superstars,” Olson said. “We compete as a team and focus on playing the very best version of Dons lacrosse.
Kotowitz is excited and happy with how well the team has been performing.
“I’m just really proud of how well we’re doing and how far we’ve come,” Kotowitz said. “As a senior it’s really impressive to see this kind of improvement.”
The large senior presence on the team has also played a role in the team’s success.
“We have 8 veteran seniors who have worked hard to build up this program over the last few years,” Olson said. “They are certainly a big part of our success in terms of both wins and losses.”
Up next, the Dons take on Washington (2-12) on April 24.
