Written by Sarah Haase Friday, 06 May 2005
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Hackley Lacrosse |
The girls' lacrosse team at Hackley is off to a strong, successful season this spring. Already 8-0, the lady Hornets find themselves getting stronger as a team and overcoming challenges after each game.
A winning season is nothing new to the lacrosse team. Head coach Jenny Leffler has shaped the lacrosse program over the past twelve years into the successful team it is today. Last spring, their record was 18-2. The team is loaded with great athletes, and even when graduation comes and takes players to college, the spaces they leave are easily filled with other capable athletes.
"Our goalie from last year now plays at Northwestern; we were a little nervous about replacing her. Lemia Harik, our current goalie, stepped into some big shoes and is doing a stellar job. She has handled the pressure well. Lemia is a great athlete with a great attitude," said Leffler.
There are eight seniors on the team this year. Their presence on the field is a force that helps drive the team.The seniors have set a nice tone for the younger players to follow. They are good team players as well as team leaders. Charlotte Owens has been a varsity player all four years at Hackley. She is a tri-captain along with teammates, Caroline Cima and Haleigh Novick-Eckhardt. "One nice thing about the senior class is that they are so strong playing together.They play multiple sports together which really helps them out a lot," Leffler added.
On April 24, the Hornets had a huge victory over Horace Greeley, 13-11.
"Horace Greeley was a big win for us. Since they are a public school, the competition is a little tougher. The victory helped boost the morale of the team. In our game against Greeley, we had a breakthrough. The girls found a way to stay motivated and keep an intense level of playing throughout the entire game," the coach noted. According to her, keeping focused and motivated for an entire fifty minutes of a game is the girls' only challenge on the field. Hackley lacrosse counts on their speed and aggressiveness on the field to win games. "We have a really strong midfield and a solid defense and the girls really work well together."
In the next couple of weeks, Hackley will face a number of important games. Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich Academy and Rye Country Day are going to be challenging games. Coach Leffler is confident that her team will play to their best ability and keep the successful record going.
