Wildcats scratch out Blazers' winning record

BLAZER STADIUM, APRIL 20 -

The varsity girls' lacrosse team (5 - 1) ended their undefeated streak last Tuesday, losing their first game of the season to Walter Johnson (3 - 2) in a 12 - 2 loss. The game was disappointing for a team that had defeated rival B - CC earlier in the season for the first time in Blair history.

Senior captains Molly Branson and Nellie Garlow attributed the loss to poor communication and shot selection during the game. "The first half we were not focused enough," Branson said. "The communication was not there." Assistant coach Lauren Finkel noticed that the players didn't go for the goal as often as they should have. "Our biggest weakness today was that we didn't capitalize on our shooting opportunities," she said.

Although the Lady Blazers were disorganized in the first half, their defense improved noticeably in the second half. The distribution of Walter Johnson's goals is proof of the Lady Blazers' defensive improvement; the Wildcats scored nine goals in the first half and only managed three goals in the second half.

"We didn't have a complete game, but we had moments when we did some really great things," Finkel said. One of those moments was when senior captain Emily Hedrick face guarded a player, cutting her off and preventing her from making plays.

Walter Johnson's high quality of play was a significant contribution to their win. "They just came out with more fire," Finkel admitted. "They were more tenacious in the midfield." Walter Johnson's head coach Brittany Borsody was very proud of the way her girls played. "I'm at a loss for words," she said. "I think we played amazingly."

The Blair team plans to improve as a result of their experience against Walter Johnson. "You learn from every game," Garlow said. "This one was a tough one." Branson and Garlow said the team will work on shot selection in upcoming practices. "We're going to come out strong for Northwest," Garlow said with confidence.

The girls' varsity lacrosse team plays their next home game against Northwest on Monday, April 26 at 5:00 p.m.