The girls varsity lacrosse program lost on Wednesday against East Grand Rapids 16-11. This game showed an immense amount of improvement compared to the 18-5 loss in the first meeting between the two foes. The Rangers kept themselves in the fight throughout the duration of the game; however, the Pioneers were able to pull away late in the game. 

“This is a huge improvement from last game against them, and the team was able to keep it within one to two goals the entire game,” head coach Zoe Mamo said. “We have seen growth in so many areas this season; I think the biggest one is the team making adjustments on the fly when things aren’t working during a game.”

The girls played a great game and, unfortunately for them, came up just short. The one-to-two goal difference throughout the game was broken by East Grand Rapids, who went on a three-goal run to increase its lead to five. After the Pioneers took a comfortable lead, they held possession of the ball and ran the clock down. The Rangers did their best to pressure the Pioneers to regain possession, but East Grand Rapids handled the pressure very well, and the Rangers were left with a loss. 

“It was a pretty good game for us,” junior Sophie Hartl said. “We really stepped it up and gave East Grand Rapids a much better game than we previously did.” 

FHC will face off against Grand Rapids Christian in its last regular-season game in preparation for playoffs. Coach Mamo emphasized that the East Grand Rapids game on Wednesday was a huge success because it boosted the girls’ confidence. The Rangers will likely face the Pioneers one more time this season in the playoffs, and since they brought East Grand Rapids to the brink of defeat on Wednesday, they should have the roster to compete with the best teams in the state if they execute their game plan properly. 

“I think last night’s game was a huge confidence booster for the girls that they can compete and put up a good game against some of the top teams, which is just the mentality we need going into playoffs.”