With several players sidelines with injuries, the girls’ junior varsity lacrosse team was beaten by Bishop O’Dowd on March 3 in Bob Wilson Stadium.  It was the 3rd consecutive loss for the team.

The Cougars were up by 3 points early in the contest, but by the time the 2nd half rolled around, things took a turn for the worse. The Dragons scored 3 consecutive goals, tying the score.

Bishop O’Dowd continued to pull away in the 2nd half, earning a 7-4 victory.

Coach Devon Combe was frustrated with her squad’s lack of defense. “We have to work on different scenarios so that way we don’t have any panic moments that can give up 3 goals in 2 minutes,” she said.

Combe noted that injuries have been a factor in the team’s current struggles. “I think each kid on our team brings something special to the team so I think having someone out does affect the overall team chemistry and what we’re able to do in different situations,” said Combe.

The absence of key starters, including junior Maddie Abbott, who tore her ACL on February 28, gave others the opportunity to gain experience on the field. Freshman attacker Maddy Kearney was among those who spent more time on the field. “We had some good running back and forth with the ball, but I think with the other players not being there, I was able to be in the game a lot longer which was nice,” she said.

Kearney noted that the team needs to work on its overall communication in order to win.

According to freshmen goalie Caitlyn Haraburda, “The other team was playing a really tough offense and our defense just got down at the end and they ended up scoring a lot.”

“We’re going to really focus on our stick work and our fitness and then making sure we understand, not on our team concepts, but also different aspects of the field,” said Combe.