The varsity girls lacrosse team is gaining wins as they step onto the field every week. So far, the Wildcats are 6-2 and they don’t plan to stop.
“We really pulled our program out of the mud. We were losing season after season, literally for the entire history of Northview [lacrosse],” Senior and captain Natalie Walsh said. “We got our stuff together and decided we were sick of being disrespected and sick of losing.”
Starting off their season, the team took on Portage Northern. The ladies were able to secure the win with a score of 8-6. It felt special for the team to win their first game of the season, especially for the seniors.
“Our first few wins of the season were just a breath of fresh air for everyone,” Senior Allison Meewenburg said. “My freshman year, we didn’t have the right tools for our full potential. But now we have [our coaches] to help us out with that.”
The team then went on to challenge the Lowell Red Arrows on their home field. They took home an even bigger win, with an outcome of 11-3. This put the girls at a 2-0 record to begin their season.
“We needed [the team] to understand that we are stronger as a team. Because if you’re playing as an individual, you’re easy to cover, and the other team is just going to focus on you,” Coach Andy Bouwens said.
At their next game, the girls faced defeat against Hudsonville 6-10. However, they won against West Ottawa 13-5 and Zeeland 15-5 to start their conference play.
“Every single game we work as a team,” Meeuwenberg said.
Ending in another victory, the Wildcats faced off against Jenison with a score of 11-3. This put them with a record of 3-0 in conference. They continued on to play Catholic Central and lost 5-22. This put them at 5-2. Despite the loss, the team is focusing on what to improve on and trying to get better everyday.
“We knew we were going to have some mistakes, but we knew by continuing to pass and distribute the ball all over the field, to all of our girls, that we were also going to get better,” Bouwens said. “Each game, we made a different goal, a different thing to work on. We would tweak and fix things for the next game.”
Bouwens is also assisted by coaches Nikki Herrmann and Keely Siegel.
In their most recent game, the team stepped up against the Mona Shores sailors and made a clean sweep with 13-0. They now have a record of 6-2.
“We work together so well as a team, we’re communicating, we’re passing and we’re trusting the people on our team. I trust my teammates to be able to be subbed out,” Walsh said.
Despite facing challenges in past years like Covid and low player numbers, the girls are persevering and rising to their goals.
“We need to make sure that we are working together and that we’re showing [our competition] who we are as a team, rather than just our top three or four girls,” Meewenburg said. “[We need to be] showing who we all are and that we’re the face of Northview [together].”
