Girls’ NCS Win Culmination of Long-Term Plan

Girls’ varsity lacrosse prevailed over Bishop O’Dowd, 12-9, to win the North Coast Section Championship. The squad racked up 22 wins over the course of its 2017 spring season.

The section crown is the team’s first, earned by outplaying one of the sports perennial powerhouses.

“We knew they were a very talented team, and going into it, I think we were as well-prepared as we could have been,” said junior Liv Lagomarsino. “And we were well conditioned too, because Shane, our coach, he loves running so we do quite a bit of that. The game kind of started off slow, but we picked it up at the end, and then we ended up getting a lead in the middle of the game, and then kind of just held the lead until the end.”

“We’re usually a second-half team, so we knew if we could get a good start, then we could definitely win the second half because we always do that,” said freshman Devon Ortman.

“I think the best part was seeing everybody else’s reaction,” added Lagomarsino. “I myself was incredibly happy, but just seeing how much it meant to everybody else too, it’s so cool to share something like that with someone, and a whole group of people.”

Coach Shane Carney is in just his 2nd season coaching Campolindo lacrosse, though he has been the varsity boys’ soccer coach for many years.

“This season was a continuation of a plan put into place at the start of last season where we wanted to show we could compete with the top teams in 2016 and then step ahead of them in 2017,” said Carney. “With a strong group of returning players, the consistent focus carried over from the 2016 preseason all the way to the 2017 NCS Final. The girls set goals for the season and accomplished all of them.”

The win was especially sweet for the seniors who remember when their squad was just beginning its rise. “For me personally, it felt good, but for the seniors it felt better because they were with the team for 4 years. So, I mean, next year, I’m going to work hard to try to have the seniors- the juniors, now- to have the same feeling that the seniors now do have,” said Ortman.

“I think seniors contribute a lot to the dynamic of a team, and the seniors this year, it was clearly their goal, at the beginning of the season,” said Lagomarsino. “They made it clear to the entire team. We would always say, ‘play for the seniors’, and to make that our main priority. And then their goal was to win NCS, so I think everyone wanted to do well for them. So I think that was helpful, having a group of seniors that motivated everyone to try really hard.”

This year’s squad was close knit. “I think everyone, including the bench, we were all just so close, and we all supported each other and cheered for each other on and off the field. We all just have fun throughout the process,” said Ortman.

“This season has been special in part because of the wins, records being broken, and all of the ‘firsts’ in program history being accomplished this season, but it has been memorable because of the way the girls came together on and off of the field to have so much fun accomplishing their goals as a team,” said Carney.

“This year, I think, was kind of a whole new level, we kind of found a way to have a lot of fun, but then focus when it was needed. So I think that payed off later. But yeah, this team was awesome. It felt great to win,” added Lagomarsino.

While the team will lose several key seniors to graduation, those players who will return are optimistic of the program’s future. “It’s kind of up in the air, but we’ll see how it goes,” said Lagomarsino. “I’m excited for next year though, there’s a great group of girls, and some people coming in. Our younger players are really talented, so I think we’ll just see how it goes. But it’ll be fun.”

“The program can use this season as a guiding light toward how to recreate future success. There are a lot of strong players returning in the future, so the program will keep the bar high,” said Carney.

“We all love each other,” said Ortman. “And if we keep that up, we’re going to go far.”