The “giant” task at hand wasn’t much of a load to carry at all. The women’s lacrosse team, carefree at this point, put on their aviators, socialized and debriefed with homemade cookies; the aura on Feb. 5 came in more than a “super” fashion.
The team was jittery at the beginning of their season against the University of California, but that only lasted a short while. Having a small team has demoralized them somewhat, even to the point where head coach Maren Henley used poster board to regroup each player weeks ahead of time -- they had written down their expectations to prepare. After their outing, though, it’s now more like a checklist.
Try a 17-4 blowout in their favor. The Sun Devils were aggressive in every facet to the game; even physicality was taken to the maximum. Following this game, “nervous” was not the word to describe the team.
“I’m really excited,” Henley said. “As soon as the first whistle blew, we gave 100% intensity.”
In terms of offense, the team was in sync. Sophomore Lauren Littleton led the team with four goals while senior Shelby Griffin complemented the offense with four team-leading assists. This was not only an offensive showing, though, as their defense, led by junior captain Jenni Littleton, was dominant.
“Yeah, we were nervous because we have a small team,” the captain said. “After the first half though, we were like ‘all right, we got this.’”
The team played at a fast pace and the Trojans had trouble keeping up. The Sun Devils capitalized on the fast break and, when they did settle, outside ball movement made way for short, open shots.
“We started slow,” said Emily Vandermark, a political science sophomore who plays for the Trojans. “Had it been later in the season, it would have been closer. We just didn’t hold onto the ball.”
Loose balls by the Trojans often translated into turnovers; turnovers contributed to the major deficit.
For now, the team can enjoy the win for what it’s worth because the last game’s score does not carry over. Their lack in numbers doesn’t seem to be a major malefactor. Like always, though, one game cannot define an entire season.
This win over the Trojans will be a confidence-booster for a team that, coming into this semester, was a little iffy. They have found some standing ground and that’s all Henley could have wanted.
Henley said that she has “a strong team” following the team’s performance. This team, though, will have to practice as one down the road; for the game against USC, the team did not practice with all their players consistently.
To be stronger, full participation is a must. What is also a must and what the team realizes is that hard work will translate; it’s quality over quantity.
“We’re just going to work hard,” Littleton said.
