Girls’ lacrosse celebrated senior night against the Richard Montgomery Rockets on Wednesday, May 1.
Each senior has grown to be so close on and off the field and were able to share a memorable moment on this night. To make it even more special, the team has a tradition where each little cat makes a poster for their big cat which highlights their close-knit nature and the care every teammate has for each other.
“[My] favorite memories were beating Whitman in the regional final, spending time with [my] teammates at team dinners, and playing with [my] sister. [My] advice to her younger teammates is to work hard in the off-season in addition to the regular season,” senior captain Natalya Krouse wrote.
Head coach Christina Fitzpatrick has pushed every player to do better and has fostered a team that truly loves and cares about one another.
“[I would like to thank] Coach Tina for guiding [me] through the last two seasons and pushing [me] to be a better player,” Krouse wrote.
From being a part of Catlax for three years, goalie Brett Wall would like to thank everyone who has supported her.
“[I] would like [my] teammates to remember to not get caught up on little mistakes. Live and learn,” Wall wrote.
In addition to being a family on the field, the Cats are incredibly close off the field. Many key memories are from team bonding activities such as going to lunch, playing pickleball and team sleepovers.
“I’ve gotten closer with all the girls on the team and its family because we are constantly hanging out because we love being together … I’ve been to grow with them and become best friends with people I would have otherwise not been super close with if I had never been on the team,” senior Ava Redmond said.
The team will open its postseason campaign in the regional semifinal against third-seeded Quince Orchard at home on Friday, May 10 at 7:15 p.m.
Boys’ lacrosse had a strong finish to conclude their last regular season home game, downing the Richard Montgomery Rockets in a thrilling 13-11 match.
The Cats seniors shined on this special night, highlighted by Noah Diamond’s four goals, Jonah Levy’s five points (one goal, four assists), and JR Dubose’s three points (one goal, two assists).
The 2-2 start for the Wildcats has become irrelevant in determining the success this season, as they have now won seven of their last eight games with their only loss being to undefeated Sherwood on Friday, May 3.
“It has been amazing to see what this team has been doing the past couple of weeks. Very proud of the team and how we have been playing,” senior Nick Zampardi said.
Dubose took the chance to reflect on his amazing 4-year run as a part of the Wildcats lacrosse team.
“It was amazing to win this game as I’ve spent the last four years watching these seniors play. It was great to be on the winning side as my freshman year we lost and I felt so bad for those seniors. But I am glad we were able to take care of business on such a big night,” Dubose said.
Senior night is such an important night for all the seniors as Zampardi shared his thoughts on the special game.
“Senior night is a very important tradition and I love doing it. I think it’s meaningful. I love especially how every senior has the chance to play. This was meant to be a special game and it was,” Zampardi said.
County awards were released this week, which put the spotlight on five Wildcats players for their tremendous play throughout the season. First-team All-Divison included Zampardi, Dubose, and junior attackman Ryan Gardner. The second team All-Division consisted of Diamond, and sophomore midfielder Henry Dash.
Gardner has his sights set on much more following his All-Division selection.
“It was a nice appetizer, but I’m hungry for the main dish: [The state Championship],” Gardner said.
Although senior night and All-Division awards were major highlights for the Cats this season, the team needs to shift their focus for their upcoming playoff matchups which will begin at home against the Churchill Bulldogs (10-3) on Friday night at 5:30 p.m. The Cats already have a win against the Bulldogs this season and hope to advance in the regional semifinal.
