The Aragon girls lacrosse team continued its strong run in the West Bay Athletic League’s Alpine Division, extending its winning streak to four games with an exciting 12-9 victory over Notre Dame Belmont on March 25.
The Notre Dame Tigers came out strong to start the first quarter, scoring three goals in the first five minutes. However, after a timeout called by head coach Ash Parham, the Dons regained momentum with a series of back-to-back goals.
Senior and attacker Phoebe Harger opened the scoring off an assist from junior and midfielder Elena Adractas, followed by a goal from sophomore and attacker Maeli Smyth and two from senior and midfielder Natalie Horwitz. With this offensive surge, Aragon took a 4–3 lead moving into the second quarter.
The drastic turnaround occurred after Parham’s advice.
“I knew we were overconfident going into the game,” Parham said. “So I called a timeout and told them to settle down and to play fundamental lacrosse and bring more intensity to the game.”
The second quarter opened with another goal from Horwitz just seconds after the draw, giving the Dons an early boost and building on their first-quarter momentum. Harger picked up another goal minutes later, then provided an assist to Smyth for her second goal of the game. In addition to the Dons’ aggressive offensive, the team’s defense held the Tigers to three goals in the second quarter. Aragon went into halftime winning 8-6.
Notre Dame came back strong in the third quarter, tying the game at 8-8 despite multiple saves from senior and goalkeeper Peyton Varni. However, the Dons quickly regained control, as two consecutive goals from Adractas put them ahead 10-8 to end the quarter.
Notre Dame scored first in the fourth quarter, narrowing Aragon’s lead to 10-9. Aragon answered with a burst of offense as senior and attacker Julia Chau, Harger and Horwitz scored three unanswered goals to seal a 12-9 win for the Dons. With the win, Aragon extended their winning streak to four games and held their position as second in the league.
Horwitz was a standout in the game, scoring four goals and helping the Dons to extend their early lead. Her performance against the Tigers earned her a nomination for the Mercury News Bay Area Girls Athlete of the Week. Harger also had a strong game, contributing several goals and assists to continue as the team’s leading goal scorer.
While Aragon’s offensive dominance was apparent throughout the game, their success was also fueled by a strong defensive performance, particularly during key moments when Notre Dame threatened to close the score gap. Varni played a crucial role in the win, stepping up in the goal to make several important saves. As a whole, the team’s defense worked together to shut down many of Notre Dame’s offensive plays.
“[Varni] didn’t think she’d have to play goalie at the beginning of the season, but she’s done a really great job stepping up so far and she’s made a huge impact in our defensive performance,” Parham said. “It’s easy to just focus on our goal scorers, but our defense has also been doing a really great job and they’ve really improved fundamentally throughout the season.”
Looking ahead, the Dons are focused on maintaining their strong play and extending their winning record. With aspirations of making the playoffs for the first time in program history, the players are aiming to continue improving while preserving the lighthearted, team-centered environment that they value.
“We’ve always had fun together as a team and have taken things pretty lightly so I don’t think anyone expected us to have this much success this season,” Smyth said. “So for us, I think it’s important that we keep getting better but we also make sure to enjoy the game and keep supporting each other.”
With half of the season remaining, the Dons will look to build on their momentum and continue their winning record when they face Notre Dame again on April 17.
