The girls varsity lacrosse team lost its first game of the season last night against the Pioneers of East Grand Rapids. Junior Shannon Murphy led the Rangers in scoring with nine goals. The Pioneers took down the Rangers 21-17 in a game that came down to the wire.

“Different players step up and put the team on their shoulders when it’s needed,” Shannon stated postgame. “Last night it was my turn, but none of it could have been achieved without our defense and midfielders causing countless turnovers and the rest of the attack line helping in transition.” 

The Rangers had a rough start to the game. The Pioneers took the lead early and never gave it up. However, the girls battled back with the help of Shannon Murphy and senior Sophie Hartl. 

“[It was a] tough start to the game,” head coach Zoe Mamo said. “But I think what it showed the team is really how capable we are of competing and beating those top teams if we are able to play our game from the first whistle.”

The Rangers knew that taking down East Grand Rapids would be a tall task. EGR has been ranked first in the state for the last few years. The Rangers have never defeated the Pioneers in the two-year history of the program. With that being said, the girls are confident that they will be able to compete with the Pioneers in their next competition. 

“Last night was good for the team because we proved that we can compete with East Grand Rapids,” Sophie said. “After our slow start, it was awesome to see the team keep its composure and battle back.” 

The girls varsity lacrosse team is now 3-1 on the season. Next week, the girls will face off against Forest Hills Northern on Monday, and Grand Rapids Catholic Central on Wednesday.