After a disappointing 17-4 loss to Madison last week in the district finals, the Langley Girls varsity lacrosse team is still determined to win their upcoming regional matches.
Entering the season with high expectations based on last year’s performance, the Saxons finished second in the Liberty District. Led by head coach Mr. Richard Desomma, the team looks to build on their success and make a deep run in Regionals, which kicks off this week against West Springfield at home.
“It’s going to be tough competition,” sophomore Hayley Soutter stated, “but we want this really badly.”
Unlike years in the past, the team has put a greater emphasis on conditioning, which means a great deal of running in practice. “We have drills specifically meant to prepare for each team and we condition for roughly 3 hours a practice so that 50 minutes in a game is easy in comparison,” sophomore goalie Erin Long said.
“We’re running so much more this year and our conditioning has developed which is good because the competition has really heated up,” said junior Devon Clark.
Earlier in the season, the Saxons torched rival McLean with a 14-4 victory, and have only lost three games heading into the regional competition.
Rebounding from a disappointing game with Madison will be difficult, but the team has faith that they will be able to forget about the loss and focus on the future. “It was a tough loss,” Senior Captain Mary Beth Winston says, “but we have to move onto Regionals since that’s what is important right now.”