Fieldston’s varsity girls lacrosse team faced many challenges this season, as the team had to rebuild after losing seven seniors last year. Due to the unrelenting winter, we had a slow start to the season. The field was covered in snow throughout tryouts, and because we were unable to go to Florida for spring training, like our competitors did, this team (with nine new players!) had limited opportunities to play outside before the season began. Most of us had never played together, and so it took time for us to unify as a team. The seniors and leaders of the team–Shai Goodman, Sophia Phay, Sasha Landauer, Simone Hinson, and Dena Miller—had a tall task, but they rose to the occasion. By the end of preseason, they had created an inclusive environment and had built a strong community of athletes. Carly Haber (Form V) said, “It would not have been the same if the team were not the family that we are, and I’m grateful that I was a part of it.”
Although the team quickly bonded off the field, we weren’t so lucky on the field—we only won two out of our twelve league games. But our record doesn’t tell the full story—five of our losses were by only one or two goals.
Shai Goodman (Form VI) said, “We might not have had the most skilled team in the world, but we worked hard. All you can ask of your team is to work hard and put in 100% every day in games and practices, and our girls did that.”
The highlight of the season was our Spring Fest game, where we beat Horace Mann in sudden death. Shai scored from outside the 8-meter arc just as the buzzer sounded, tying the game and outraging the Horace Mann parents and fans. After overtime, the game was still tied, and we went into sudden death. Natalie White (Form V) scored the winning goal, bringing a triumphant end to this exciting and exhausting game. As Ari Howard (Form V) said, “It will be something I never forget.” Everyone left their hearts out on the field that day, and we are hopeful that with the new freshmen next year, we will be able to play like we did against Horace Mann throughout all of next season.
