Windham girls’ lacrosse tunes up for 2022 season

Windham freshman Grace Jolly approaches her opponent's 
goal with a fierce look in her eyes during a preseason girls'
varsity lacrosse game against Gorham at the University of
Southern Maine in Gorham on Monday, April 11.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

By Matt Pascarella

To best prepare for the start of the regular girls’ lacrosse season, which opened Thursday at Yarmouth, Windham High School played a preseason game against the Gorham Rams at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham on Monday, April 11. The girls worked hard from start to finish but fell to the Rams 12-6.

Windham had several shots at goal in the first half with a few that landed, often to tie the game.

“Even though we didn’t have the best night ... we can all work together and ... learn from this and use this as a lesson to work harder and get better as a team,” said Windham sophomore Mallory Muse.

The Lady Eagles took the field aggressively. When Gorham scored less than three minutes into the first half, Windham was quick to answer when senior Sidney McCusker tied up the game.

Gorham pulled ahead by one, but it was Windham senior Molly Black who tied it up at two.

With less than 10 minutes left in the first half, the Rams scored again, but Windham sophomore Macie Ennis shot the ball around the goal post and past the goal to tie the game at three.

Gorham managed to score two more times before the end of the half to take a 5-3 lead.

Windham had a strong start barely 30 seconds into the second half when junior Ashley Clark fired the ball directly at the goalie and it bounced up and in.

Gorham scored three times. McCusker then scored back-to-back goals, but Gorham scored several times more before the end of the game.

Lady Eagles freshman Grace Jolly said the team was really good at encouraging each other and keeping their hustle up though it was a little harder as the game went on. Jolly said the score may have got to the team a little.

"Their effort is great,” said Windham girls’ lacrosse coach Matt Perkins. “We are a young team; we are still trying to figure out the game and each other. We are going to make mistakes.”

Perkins added if those mistakes happen, and the team is able to battle and push through them to continue to play hard. The biggest thing is not to get hung up on mistakes and move to the next play.

He said if the team does that all year, they will come out pretty well at the end.  <