This season, the Hampton girls lacrosse team is depending on having a balanced attack rather than relying on one standout player.
In the past three years, the team had two top goal-scorers, but now they want to have scoring distributed across the whole team.
The coach, Kelsey Burke, said it's an advantage not to depend on one person to score because they can't afford to have their top scorer shut down by a strong defense.
In the last three years, the team saw two top midfielders, Emi DiLiberto and Megan Cook, graduate, leaving a gap in their scoring lineup.
Coach Burke mentioned that the team needs to be ready to handle defenses that focus on stopping their star scorers, as they have 10 returning starters.
DiLiberto only scored once in a game and the team lost, resulting in their earliest playoff exit in many years.
Coach Burke believes they will have several players scoring 30 or more goals, which shows consistency and teamwork in their attack strategy.
The team's top returning scorer, Sienna Rex, scored 38 goals, and there are other players with double-digit goals, such as Lindsay Fiscus and Lizzy Saponsky.
Fiscus mentioned that the team is improving their teamwork and she expects them to do well.
After a big loss in the first game, the team won the next game with six different players scoring goals.
Junior defender Olivia Graswick emphasized the importance of having many players contributing to the scoring.
The team aims to win back their section title after losing to Plum last season. They've had an impressive record in section games in the past.
Junior midfielder Lillian Ketler expressed the team's determination to work hard and do their best to win.
Other returning starters include Emerson Pryal, Ava Galuska, and the team's defensive players: Graswick, Elena Herchenroether, Greta Hamlin, and Addie Hastings.
Herchenroether's favorite thing about the team is their ability to work together and have fun on and off the field.
The team's all-section sophomore goalie, Taylor Whitman, missed the start of the season due to injury but was expected to return in late March, while senior Jacqui Deah filled in.
Apart from aiming for a balanced attack, the team is already seeing big numbers from a ninth-grader, Dillon Perry, who scored the most goals in the first two games.
Burke expressed great excitement, noting the player's significant playing time and strong contributions to the varsity roster. They are thrilled by her performance.
