The Morgan Girls Lacrosse team continues to make a name for themselves in the Shoreline Conference this season, having a current record of 7-7 . The team is coached by William Lindsay and Mathematics Teacher Jessica Lynch. The team is made up of 6 seniors, 5 juniors, 8 sophomores, and 15 freshmen.
The lacrosse team practices every weekday and has a very close bond with each other. Multiple players on the team think that the upperclassmen do a good job of bringing the team together and creating new friendships. Sophomore Abby Stack said, “I am sad for the upperclassmen to leave, and I think they do a good job at creating our team dynamic and keeping us involved.”
Senior Captain Maeve Madura has committed to play lacrosse at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Maeve said, “I love the culture of our team, and I’m so happy to be able to be a part of this family. I am so glad I have gotten to play 4 years with all of my best friends, and I am sad to leave, but I am excited for my next four years playing college lacrosse.”
Senior Emely Andino is a defensive varsity starter. She has been on the team for 3 years and has a close relationship with the team. She said, “I have high expectations for the end of this season, and I’m very happy and excited for the freshmen to have their chance to shine. I also love the coaches and the environment that we have at practice every day.”
Freshmen on the team
Last year, the 15 freshmen were a part of a travel team where they played against other teams in Connecticut. Now they have 4 freshmen that start varsity and have had 10 in total earn varsity minutes.
Freshman Emma Teuner is on the team this year as a varsity starter. She said, “The team environment is very healthy. I feel very included with the upperclassmen despite my age difference. I also enjoy expanding my connections with my teammates, who I’ve been playing with since 3rd grade.” Emma said she is looking forward to the rest of the season and hopefully making Shorelines and States. From the perspective of a varsity starter who got injured, Freshman Nora Winsor said, “I am upset that I got injured mid-season, but I’m ready for next season when I will be playing again.” Nora appreciates the upperclassmen. She said, “From the games I played, I really felt a connection with the team whether I was doing good or not, they would always hype me up.”
Lax 2 Live Program
On April 23, the lacrosse team won 12-5 in North Stonington against Wheeler. While at Wheeler, the team participated in a program called Lax 2 Live. After the game, there was a presentation explaining the purpose of Lax 2 Live. During the presentation, a college student talked about her mental struggles as a student athlete. Lax 2 Live’s purpose is to bring awareness to student athletes who are struggling with mental health. The program was started by Ann Irr Dagle. She dedicated this program to her late son, Brain Dagle. Brian played lacrosse in high school and graduated from East Lyme High School in 2011. He sadly took his own life in 2011. Every year, each team plays in a game dedicated to the Lax 2 Live program.
Defender Liliana Luciani is a junior at Morgan. She played in the Lax 2 Live game last year and this year. Lili felt the program was an effective way to spread mental health awareness: “Lax 2 Live is a very proactive way to inform student athletes about reaching out for help when they are in periods of struggle.”
