Girls' Junior Varsity Lacrosse vs Kent School

Score/Result: 16-5 W

Despite the oncoming storm and a rainy warm-up, Taft showed up to play against Kent on Wednesday. Every member of the team made significant contributions to the win overall. Much of Taft’s success in this game can be attributed to draw control and ground ball pick-ups. Taft won nearly 90% of the draws during the game, clearly demonstrating their strength to dominate draws as worked on throughout the week’s practices. 

In the first half, Elle Carroll and Amelia Bermingham each tallied three goals. Elle also showed great hustle getting after and retrieving ground balls in the midfield. Paige Whittemore had the other two goals in the first half of the game. Simmons Gaines and Maggie Lineberger each disrupted Kent attack through interceptions in the first half. Jane Andresen made multiple important passes from the backfield to start up Taft transition. Maggie Blatz had seven crucial saves against the Kent team, giving Taft a lead at the half.

At the start of the second half, the score was Taft 8 and Kent 3. Paige Whittemore and Elle Carroll continued to work had in the midfield to win the 50-50 battles. Whittemore showed grit and persistence particularly in her second and third efforts at ground balls. Amelia Bermingham had another goal in the second half, and Paige Whittemore tallied two more as well. Dede McKelvy earned two points, one in regular play and one off of a strategically placed free position. Meme Ewald and Adeline Ewing each scored a goal in the second half. Adeline Ewing filled a new position in the midfield, playing the entire game at attack wing and stepping up big for the Rhinos in this game. Ewing consistently works hard to win battles all over the field, makes great cuts on the attack, and continuously shows her versatility as a lacrosse player. She had a standout performance in this game against Kent. Emily Rominger and Amelia Bermingham worked together on a beautifully executed double team in the midfield in the final five minutes of the game.

On top of the impressive draw control that Taft demonstrated in this game, another impressive aspect of play was the final 1:30 of the game. As Taft was up 16-5 toward the end of the game, possession was crucial in securing the current score. After bringing the ball into the attack, Taft maintained possession for the final 1:30 of the game, 50 seconds of which the ball was not dropped once as it was passed around the attack unit. Discipline and smart decisions in acquiring and maintaining ball possession against Kent ultimately earned Taft the 16-5 win.