The rain and wind intensified last Friday evening, but members of the Eleanor Roosevelt High School girls lacrosse team had nothing but smiles. Despite the unseasonably cold weather and their first loss of the season, they had a lot to be proud of. The girls advanced to the state semifinals in only their second season competing in the state playoffs; won the league, county and region championships; and continue to set a precedent for girls lacrosse in Prince George’s County. Although the Raiders were unable to score against the South River Seahawks on this night, their appearance on this stage is a marker for the program.
As the county continues to increase participation in lacrosse, out-of-county competition will remain a stiff test, as nearby programs like South River regularly send athletes to some of the top collegiate programs in the country. But if the Raiders’ development from a club team to a state semifinalist in only a few years is any indication, those smiles of accomplishment will remain.
Led by senior captains Annie Gomez and Vivian Tran, the Raiders were only seriously challenged once in the regular season; in a physical contest on April 23, the Raiders overcame the Northwestern Wildcats 13-12. After defeating the Oxon Hill Clippers in the county championship on May 5, the Raiders knew they were likely to meet the Wildcats again in the regional final. This time around, the Raiders used their depth to overcome a feisty Northwestern squad, 18-8.
All season the Raiders have been led by a quartet of juniors – Melanie Danso, Camille Lorente, Jeanette Betke and Olivia Joachim. Lorente fueled the regional final victory with six goals, while Joachim led the team for the season with 44. Sophomore Isabella Gandolph also added four tallies, while Danso and Betke helped the Raiders control possession for 66 percent of the game, wearing down the Wildcats. With the aid of these experienced players, Coach Charles Mills has continued to develop a program with athletic, yet inexperienced underclassmen like sophomore goalie Zosia Nicholson, who doubles as a promising forward for the Raiders’ soccer team in the fall. Nicholson made eight saves against Northwestern and also played admirably against South River, making several impressive saves despite only picking up the sport this season.
The Raiders will look to improve on their 16-1 season next year, while continuing to pave the way for Prince George’s County lacrosse. And you can bet they’ll do it while smiling.
Boys Lacrosse The boys lacrosse season played out in a very similar fashion, as the team blitzed county opponents en route to a league, county and regional title. Led by junior David Tyree IV with 49 goals and brothers Chandler and Frederick Grimes, with 41 goals apiece, the Raiders ended with a record of 15-1. Before running into the two-time defending state champion Severna Park Falcons in the state semifinals, the Raiders’ stiffest test was a 9-6 playoff victory over Bowie.
Junior goalie Jared Hamlin – another converted soccer player – was responsible for several key saves in a back and forth contest with the arch-rival Bulldogs, while junior Windy Nguyen helped sustain the team’s possession. In the state semifinal, the Raiders were blitzed in the first quarter by their formidable opponent, but settled in during the second quarter when senior Elias Kallon found the back of the net. The Raiders were also able to hold offensive possession and kept the Falcons to only two goals during the period as they became acclimated to their competition.
Although Severna Park pulled away in the second half, the boys had just as much to be proud of as the girls. The rain continued to fall but both the girls and boys teams left their state semifinal appearances – the county’s first in lacrosse – with a season of accomplishments and can look forward to a successful future.