The FHC girls lacrosse team lost 12-3 to Forest Hills Northern in the two programs’ first meeting. Much like Forest Hills Central, Forest Hills Northern was forced to create its own program after the MHSAA split up the Forest Hills United team. Many of the girls on both sides were once teammates on school or club lacrosse teams. With that being said, the two teams know each other very well for having never played a game against each other.

“They capitalized on the fact that they knew so many of our offensive players and how they work,” junior Sophie Hartl said. “We struggled with the high-pressure situations they put us in during transition, and our offense had some good plays resulting in good shots on goal. Their goalie made some amazing saves.”

Head coach Zoe Mamo continues to address the lack of fundamentals as one of the main themes in her team’s two losses on the season. The rust hasn’t worn off yet for the Rangers, as they continue to struggle with simple facets of the game such as passing and catching. Mamo has been preaching the importance of taking care of the ball and eliminating the “small mistakes” since the beginning of the season. 

“I think the biggest thing that we can continue to take away and, as I keep saying, is the small mistakes and the basics like passing and catching,” coach Mamo said.

Despite the early-season struggles, coach Mamo is still extremely confident in her squad’s ability to improve and develop. She described the Caledonia game, which started off slow for both sides, as a perfect example of her team’s gritty character. 

“The whole team in the Caledonia game stepped up for the last part of the game to secure the win,” coach Mamo said. She continued to give the defense credit for its crucial role in every game. “Our defense has really been stepping up during the games, especially against Rockford.” 

The Rangers are now 2-2 on the season and will face Grand Rapids Catholic Central on Wednesday, April 21, in what should be a scrappy battle.