If you’re a fan of Oak Park and River Forest High School lacrosse, Saturday was your kind of day. Both OPRF squads played home matches at 2 p.m. with the girls squad defeating Glenbard West 12-8 at the Lake Street Field and the boys team losing to Maine South 5-4 at OPRF Stadium.
Although a Saturday sweep by the Huskies was the plan, both teams showed signs of early season progress.
In the girls match, the Huskies dominated time of possession particularly in the second half. Sophomore attacker Arden Shorr’s goal from the left side sealed the win with 2:45 left in the game.
Sophomore midfielder Liv Conmy, the Huskies’ leading scorer this season, shared game-high scoring honors with senior attacker Gabi Arnesen. They scored four goals apiece.
“We were doing really well on communicating and passing the ball around,” Conmy said. “We did get frantic sometimes but we kept with it. Even though we only won by four points, I thought that we did really well.”
Senior defenseman Lucy Brandstrader added: “On the defensive end, I think we did well with crashing most of the time. We did well at coming up with the ball on ground balls and getting it up to midfield.”
Other key returners this spring include senior defenseman Chloe Smith, senior midfielder Molly Lena and junior midfielder Brett Bearrows. OPRF has 11 seniors on the roster.
Finishing 11-13 last season (highlighted by an 11-6 win over St. Ignatius in a sectional semifinal), the Huskies have the talent, athleticism and attitude to compete with any teams in the state.
“One of our biggest strengths is just staying positive,” Conmy said. “We try hard as a whole and we really work together.”
The Huskies can achieve their goals of making an impact in conference and the postseason by playing fundamental lacrosse at both ends of the field
“Having a balanced offense and defense is the key,” Brandstrader said. “It’s hard to be positive as a whole team if one side is performing and the other is lacking. If we have a balanced offense and defense, it will definitely help us out a lot.”
As a team leader and continual scoring threat, Conmy is always looking to improve her game.
“I want to try to space things out and look around more,” Conmy said. “I want to look for more passes and assists and continue to work on the basics.
“We struggle with the basics sometimes. If we can focus on that, we can do well.”
OPRF boys lacrosse
Although the Huskies remain winless at 0-3, the team has shown plenty of fight and signs of progress during the early portion of the regular season.
Trailing Maine South 4-1 at halftime Saturday, OPRF responded with three goals in the second half. Senior attacker Charlie Canepa scored on a goal down the middle with 8:51 left in the game to tie the game at 4-4. The visiting Hawks quelled the Huskies’ rally with the game-winning goal at the 7:51 mark.
“We turned things around in the second half,” OPRF senior goalie Mike Mullins said. “We didn’t finish the game out like we should have.”
Canepa offered a similar assessment.
“We played better in the second half, we moved the ball better and got better looks and more shots,” Canepa said. “In the fourth quarter, we just couldn’t close it out.”
OPRF finished a respectable 6-5 in 2016. A point of emphasis this year, however, will be to improve the Huskies’ conference record. OPRF was 1-5 in league play last year.
The team lost a few top players to graduation in Ken VanSpankereen (2016 first-team all-conference) and Joe Warner (2016 honorable mention all-conference).
The Huskies will lean on Canepa’s senior leadership and the team’s other key returners including Mullins (third-team all-conference in 2016), and senior midfielders Rylan Bonaccorsi, JT Sandoval, Eddie Shea and Logan Metzgar.
“We have a lot of leaders and a lot of great players,” Canepa said. “Our goaltender (Mullins) is phenomenal and the defense is really good. We just need to focus.”
One of the Huskies’ biggest strengths is their defense. Returning senior defensemen John Clancy, Matt Clarkson, Jake Wojak and Jamal Winn provide a solid backfield in front of Mullins.
The offense isn’t shabby either.
“Our transition is great,” Canepa said. “We’re fast and we’re strong, and we can run with anyone.”
Although winning games in the West Suburban Conference will be challenging, OPRF has a game plan.
“We just have to stay positive and keep our heads cool,” Mullins said. “Even though we’re going to go up against some good teams, we just have to play our hardest and give it all we’ve got.
“Our offensive threats are great. Defensively, we are deep and we clear the ball well. We just need to show up every game and be ready to play well.”
