On Thursday, April 16, the Archie Williams girls varsity lacrosse team (1-4) faced off against The Branson School Bulls (2-4) in an intense matchup. The game took place at the Falcons’ home field, with a late-afternoon start time. Despite the Falcons’ efforts, the Bulls ultimately had a better offense, and the match ended with a score of 2-17.
After the first whistle blew, the two teams battled for possession following the face-off. However, the Bulls had the upper hand in offense and gained control of the ball to score. The first quarter ended with the Bulls leading Archie Williams 0-7.
Junior goalie Greek Feeney defended the Falcons’ goal, yet the Bulls had many offensive strategies, especially in the crease. Branson continued to score more goals, increasing their lead, while the Falcons remained scoreless. Greek believes that having a better balance of attackers to defenders would potentially help in future games.
“[The Bulls] were scoring on me [by] wrapping around the crease, and [going] one-on-one. If we’re able to get girls right on either side of the crease, then that could really help us in the long run,” Greek said.
Determined to gain the lead, the Falcons headed into the second quarter with higher spirits and perseverance. By communicating with each other on the field and focusing on the team’s strengths, junior Ellen Winter was able to score the first point for Archie Williams. Although it was a slight improvement for the team, Branson still had a strong offense, and the first half of the game ended with a score of 1-11.
“I think we did good [with] communicating, marking up on players, and being aggressive on defense. I think we need to be even more aggressive, [have] more contact, and just take more shots,” said sophomore Ashlyn Alba.
After regrouping at halftime, Archie Williams came into the second half hungry for points. The team pushed harder on defense, looking to stop the Bulls. Branson’s offensive strategies were relatively strong in the first half, but as the game progressed, the Falcons were able to catch on.
“I think the defense towards the end tightened up a little bit and got more aggressive, which was good. I started to understand [the Bulls’] plays a bit more, which was really beneficial in keeping the score as low as we could possibly have it,” Greek said.
The Falcons strengthened their defensive tactics, which allowed Ellen to score another goal. However, the Bulls scored on Archie Williams six more times. Although the game did not end in the Falcons’ favor, they continue to fight and improve.
The Falcons will take on the San Marin High School Mustangs (4-1) at home Tuesday, April. 22, at 4 p.m. for another MCAL game. Despite this loss, head coach Ted Hellman is hopeful for the rest of the season.
“Branson is a good team, and today’s game was difficult for us. I’m happy with the progress we are seeing playing as a team on both sides of the ball. I expect the next three games to present some challenges, but I’m hopeful we can achieve better results as our progress continues through the remainder of the season,” Hellman said.
