Aragon girls lacrosse (2-7 overall, 1-7 West Bay Athletic League-Skyline)* bounced back with a 7-4 win against Presentation (0-9 overall, 0-8 WBAL-Skyline) on April 13 after six losses.
The Presentation Panthers started off in the lead with a strong offense, keeping the ball near the Dons’ goal. Saves were made by senior defender Stephanie Camacho Sibrian and senior co-captain and midfielder Lilly Loghmani, but Presentation managed to lead with a score of 2-0.
There were intense struggles near the goal as the Panthers’ defense blocked the Dons from receiving. The Panthers forced the Dons’ ball attackers behind the goal as they searched for an opening to pass or take a shot.
With 20 minutes left in the first half, Loghmani scored the first goal for the Dons after sprinting to the crease. Presentation scored another two goals before senior midfielder Lauren Mok scored another goal with an assist by Loghmani in the last 15 minutes of the first half. After a drawn out struggle by the goal, Loghmani slid in a goal with an assist from junior attacker Amy Hagerman 31.8 seconds before the half ended.
Coach Ashley Parham is the team’s temporary coach after Kayln Olson’s retirement while they continue searching for a more experienced instructor.
“We’ve got off to a slow start,” Parham said. “We beat this team pretty soundly the first time we played them, so I think we came in a little overconfident. [Then] we finally … took control of the game and played pretty well. There [were] a couple of good assists. Usually, most of our goals are just kind of one-on-one battles, but it’s good to see when someone gets a pass right in front of the net.”
Aragon broke through Presentation’s defense with swifter passes, long clearances and well-aimed assists.
“At halftime, we [adjusted] our strategy because in the beginning of the game, we had had a slower start,” Mok said.
In the second half, Aragon played more aggressively. Mok gained control of the ball during most faceoffs, giving Aragon the upper hand.
Junior goalie Deirdre Doyle was effective at blocking shots and transitioning the team to offense throughout the game.
With 14 minutes left, Loghmani scored again with an assist from Mok. After more goals from Loghmani, Mok and Hagerman, the Dons finished the game with a 7-4 victory.
Lacrosse is relatively new at Aragon.
“I think this is the seventh season of lacrosse [at Aragon],” Parham said.
The team is in the WBAL Skyline Girls Lacrosse League, competing against teams that have consistently ranked top 20 in the Central Coast Section, such as Carlmont (8-2 WBAL-Skyline)* and Woodside (9-0 WBAL-Skyline)*. Currently, Aragon is in sixth place.
“We’re in a very competitive bracket [since] a lot of the other schools are a lot more experienced than our team is,” Loghmani said. “I think we are making a big effort, [especially since] we have a lot of newer girls and a newer coach.”
“We’re in a very competitive bracket [since] a lot of the other schools are a lot more experienced than our team is”
Last year, COVID-19 resulted in a rough season with fewer players than usual.
“This year, now that we are trying to come back to full speed, we’ve had to adjust,” Loghmani said.
During this period of improvement, the team’s supportive culture is a strength.
“I think everyone … [pushes] everyone else to get better,” Loghmani said. “[At] the beginning of the draw, you always hear people cheering for whoever’s taking it. I think we have a very friendly dynamic, so everyone is really comfortable talking to each other.”
Parham’s coaching and his football background has also been a significant help.
“[It’s] been awesome for him to apply the skills that he learned in football [to] lacrosse,” Mok said. “[We learned to be] … aggressive on defense and [work] as a unit.”
The next home game is against Carlmont on April 22 at 5:30 p.m.
*Records as of April 18
