On March 19, the State College Girls Lacrosse Team held its home opener against Central Dauphin East at the State High North Turf. After a 12-11 win over Central Dauphin two nights prior, this matchup gave the team the opportunity to improve.
The spring-like weather at game time was a welcome break from the long winter and encouraged a strong turnout from players’ families and friends. Before the game, the crowd gathered while the two teams warmed up in preparation for what everyone hoped would be a competitive contest.
The game started, and within eight seconds, junior Macey Mitchell got State College on the board with the 100th goal of her career. Mitchell offered her thoughts on the emotions behind this milestone.
“It feels amazing. I’m just really excited, and I couldn’t do it without my team,” she said.
That was a fast start to a dominant offense that scored 16 goals by halftime.
Junior Lila Franklin scored two goals back to back within 30 seconds of each other. While scoring those goals could be considered the best part of the game, Franklin shared a different perspective.
“I think the highlight of my game was having fun with my teammates and seeing everyone being able to get in the game and have fun,” Franklin said.
Later in the first quarter, senior Ella Tambroni, a two-sport athlete, scored a goal. This is her final season with State High Lacrosse. Her future plans include playing field hockey at Michigan State University in the fall, and she shared some thoughts on what she’ll miss about the team.
“I’m so sad. I love all these girls so much and I’ll be so sad to leave all of them but I trust all of them to get a few wins while I’m gone,” Tambroni said.
The offense’s dominance was equaled by the team’s strong defensive performance, which held the visiting Panthers scoreless in the first half.
The Little Lion’s strong play continued in the second half, leading to a final score of 24-1. The wide margin of victory provided everyone with an opportunity for playing time. In total, fourteen girls recorded at least one goal.
Junior Lily Sidwell tallied three goals and provided her perspective on the team’s mindset as they prepared to face off with today’s opponent.
“It was a team goal and obviously CD East wasn’t our biggest competitor of the year, but we were looking forward to it and we went into it as a big competitor,” Sidwell said.
It was evident to those watching the game that the team collectively supported each other and achieved the win together. After each goal, hugs were shared and cheers erupted in celebration of another point on the scoreboard.
After the game, Head Coach Tara Hohenshelt provided an evaluation of the team’s performance.
“We’ve been working really hard since November. We put in a lot of time, not just in the pre-season but since the official season started,” Hohenshelt said.
The team has a challenging season ahead of them and Hohenshelt set a simple goal for the team.
“Just that we continue to get better every single day,” Hohenshelt said.
The Little Lions are back at home on Thursday, March 27, when they take on Chambersburg.
