Girls’ Lacrosse Faces Struggles
Photo Credit: Jed Springer
Girls' lacrosse bolsters up team spirit.
Change is almost always a good thing, but this year’s girl’s lacrosse team is one of the exceptions to this rule. Last year saw the girls post an exceptional 16-6 record, in which the team eventually fell to Menlo in the final round of PAL playoffs. But this season, according to team captain Chloe Peters, is to say the least “a building year.”
The team ended their season with a record of 0-8 in league play and an overall finish of 3-16. From the start, the team was faced with adversity. Their head coach, Roger Mendez, took an extended leave of absence and eventually stepped down as head coach of the team, leaving assistant coach Christina Chiesa responsible for the team. “We never really meshed with Roger,” said Peters. “He pretty much just gave us conditioning sets and plays and left most of the individual coaching to assistants and other players.”
Compounding the team’s struggle is a smaller and less talented group of seniors than the previous year, which is not surprising considering that four seniors from the 2009 class made first team all-league. Notable senior efforts did come this year from Hilary Benedick, who Peters says contributes a “solid defensive effort,” as well as Caroline Edwards, who uses her size and strength to win draws and face-offs. Adding to the team is goalie and senior Ashley Starr, who averages 12 saves a game despite 2010 being her first year in front of the net.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel for our team, as juniors and assistant captains Paige Solomon and Christina Rodgers have shown great promise and are expected to make a major contribution next year. Rogers already has, achieving the title of leading scorer for this year’s team because of her speed and agility. Hopefully next year the girls will be able to spring back and return to their previous prestige and success.
My father played lacrosse in the late 70′s with some of the what you could call “founding father’s” coming from the east coast to reside with his family and eventually having me in which he taught me the fundamentals of lacrosse growing up in the Atherton area and being able to have the opportunity to coach me in lacrosse. I went to M-A for a short time my freshman and did not like the atmosphere at all. I was so fortunate to go ahead and play my Lacrosse at a private school in San Francisco in going on to play in a prestigious program.
I feel this article is very inaccurate considering my step-sister plays at menlo and told me that MA won more games than were displayed… check with max preps. and I heard the reason the head coach stepped down (after talking with him) was the level of competition was depleted after half of the team was injured and the person quoted in this article basically lashes out her thoughts at the person not the faults of the program..
This is just great, especially posting this on the school website… typical MA… football coach resigns… lacrosse coach resigns… what’s next?
hopefully the athletic director resigns doesnt know how to do anything at that school
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