Girls’ Lacrosse Uses Adaptive Strategy to Secure Victory Against Irvine High

Sky Nguyen and Kelly Yeh | 64 Views

Attacker and sophomore Olivia Ganes scoops the ball and cradles it through two players from Irvine High. Ganes was able to play more aggressively during this game, according to head girls’ lacrosse coach Julie Primero. “Olivia scoring three goals was crazy,” utility player and sophomore Claire Hsin said. “I’m super proud of her for that.”

Girls’ lacrosse (12-8) defeated Irvine High 11-8 in an away game on April 22. However, the Bulldogs will not advance to the second round of CIF Division 2 after a 16-4 defeat in the first round against Oaks Christian.

In the first minute of the game, attacker and senior Alexis Youn received the ball and passed it to attacker and sophomore Alyana Cabanilla, who successfully scored the first goal. The Bulldogs started the game off strong and scored four goals in the first eight minutes of the game by taking more chances, getting open and relying on teamwork and communication to make plays. These were important improvements upon their team strategy as the team tends to hold on to the ball longer before passing, according to attacker and senior Lauren Mora. Additionally, in the first quarter of the game, receiving inbounds challenged the Bulldogs, but they quickly picked up on a strategy by the Vaqueros’ goalie, which they used to their advantage.

“We found that their goalie would throw the ball really far,” Mora said. “We adjusted, and our defense would drop really far back when the goalie was clearing the ball. We realized that the farther back we stayed, the higher the chances were that we were going to get the ball, so I think that was a crucial adjustment that we made in the game.”

The Bulldogs arrived at the game one hour early, so many players had less energy than usual and felt the mood was off, according to Mora. As a result, the Bulldogs had some regrets when the Vaqueros received a yellow card for charging at a Bulldogs’ defender in the third quarter of the game, resulting in the Vaqueros playing the remainder of the game one player short.

“I think we definitely should have used that to our advantage more and passed to [our] open player,” Mora said. “We just needed to keep our eyes peeled for that open pass.”

Additionally, many players were missing due to injuries and previous commitments, according to utility player and sophomore Claire Hsin. Despite this, players were able to step up and fill in for the missing teammates, with attacker and sophomore Zoe Del Rosario playing the midfield for the first time and defender and sophomore Aleena Advani getting more minutes on the field. The Bulldogs proved to be flexible, allowing them to finish the game with a win.

“I’m really proud of them because they went from not really playing in the game to playing the majority of the game, so that was my favorite part of the game yesterday,” Primero said. “It was like everybody got it.”

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About the Contributors

Sky Nguyen, Assistant Features Editor

Sky Nguyen is the Assistant Features Editor and a Social Media Manager for her second and final year on the Portola Pilot. In her free time, she loves to explore food places around the county and watch movies in the theater. Outside of reading for her psychology class, she’s training and performing in aerial arts! Lastly, she loves to go out with her family and friends and watch Hugh Jackman movies. She’s so excited to write with and help her team members this year (and take her routine after-school naps)!

Kelly Yeh, Assistant News Editor

Kelly Yeh is the Assistant News Editor for her second year on the Portola Pilot. When she is not in the newsroom, you can find her perfecting her daily matcha latte, cafe hopping, splurging on concerts or harassing her dog, Teddy. She is so excited to work with all the members of Pilot this year and make new memories!