Westwood High School Girl’s Lacrosse team, led by second-year coach Kari Bell, is starting off on the right foot this season, with the girls currently 5-1 in their scrimmages.
Currently, girls’ lacrosse only has a JV team, but starting next year there will be a Varsity team as well, with Bell as the head coach. The team says they have taken a different approach with their practices and that it’s definitely helping them. Sophomore Laura Bonerbo said, “Last year we were a first-year program; this year we have higher expectations for our season. Bell is stepping up the tempo this year because we are determined to do well.”
To get ready for games the girls have team meetings, which consist of setting goals for the games and going over plays. “We like to mentally prepare ourselves before we go out on the field,” Bonerbo said. The girls’ 5-1 record has come from their 6 scrimmages. They have played Demarest, Glen Rock, High Point, Pascack Hills, Mahwah, and Indian Hills. “The games have been tough, but we put up a good fight and came out as winners in the end,” Bonerbo said.
The girl’s first season game is this Saturday, April 6 against River Dell High School. Sophomore Amy Olsen said the games are only going to get harder, but they are ready for it. It’s a good challenge for them. The team’s goal is to end on a good note, and they want to try to get into the JV County Tournament on a good ranking.
The team is looking for more support from fans at the school. Sophomore McKenzie Knapp said, “We always want as many fans as we can get; since this is only our second year we don’t get as many fans as we would like.”