The Oak Park and River Forest High School girls lacrosse team finds itself year in and year out a participant in an IHSA sectional final. The last time it wasn’t there was three years ago, when the Huskies lost in a sectional semifinal to New Trier.
Thus, the opportunity to take that next step – into a super-sectional and possibly state itself – is nigh for head coach James Borja and his charges.
The Huskies have firepower to do that, what with senior attackers like Tess Cronin and Madeleine Magnusson, midfielder Grace Moroney and senior goaltender Megan Dauphinee.
Another factor: A really tough schedule, which includes a trip to Ohio to face powers in that state, along with Chicagoland stalwarts like Evanston, Naperville North, Stevenson, Glenbrook South and locally, Fenwick on April 27.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It’s a long season.
“It’s playing one game at a time and we scout each team and gameplan for each game,” Borja said. “We’re not looking ahead.”
The Huskies graduated three collegiate Division 1 attackers from a year ago, and that void will be filled by Cronin and Magnuson.
“She’s 6-foot-1, strong and just this preseason has been on a mission,” Borja said of Cronin, who scored 19 goals a year ago. “I don’t think defenders will be able to keep up with her.”
As for Magnuson, who has been a varsity player since that sectional semifinal loss her freshman year, she scored nine a year ago. Moroney was a field hockey player, and Borja said of her, “She is just always in the right spot on the field. We don’t anticipate her ever coming off the field.”
Then there is Dauphinee in goal. She was the starter last year.
“She brings experience,” Borja said, “definitely experience and calmness to our defensive side.”
Fenwick to rely on balance
Fenwick coach Tracy Bonaccorsi is in her seventh season and may never have seen such balance on her squad, especially in the senior class.
“This group of seniors are multiple-sport athletes at Fenwick,” Bonaccorsi said. “They are willing to learn and grow and are hard working. They stick together.”
That senior group starts with midfielder Kate Cox, all-GCAC a year ago.
“Kate is someone that started playing her freshman year,” Bonaccorsi said. “She has grown to love lacrosse. (She is) great with ground balls and is a leading goal scorer. I see how hard she works every day.”
Cox said the toughest part about being a midfielder is being adaptive to the inevitable transitions of the game. But that’s where team cohesiveness is a factor.
“Forming a strong bond sets us apart from other teams,” she said.
Another senior midfielder, Emma Kure, is a volleyball player and that has helped her step into a greater lacrosse role.
“She may go under the radar a bit,” Bonaccorsi said. “She’s not off the chart on the stat sheet. She’ll play a bigger role this year.”
Other seniors who had significant minutes as juniors include Gia Vizzini, Maddie Cox, Emilia Krason and Addison Boehm.
“They’ve been training all off season and working out and are very close knit, and we’re looking forward to having them out on the field again,” she said.
As usual, the GCAC is loaded, with St. Ignatius, Montini, Mother McAuley and Loyola.
Once again, that cohesiveness will be key, Kure said.
“I think it’s the bond we already created,” she said. “I don’t think it’s the norm to be as close as we already are.”
Trinity seeks first winning season
Where Fenwick has a strong senior class, the difference for Trinity is a substantial junior class, headed by midfielders Maddie Chabura, Mae DeGroff and Lucy Treese.
DeGroff, for example, is in her third season playing lacrosse. She’s learned a lot.
“I think the biggest issue my freshman year is I got mad at myself,” she said. The big difference now? “My mindset and ability to take a deep breath and reset. Press the mental reset button when we’re stressed and aggravated with ourselves.”
Treese said she feels now, as a junior, she has a greater responsibility to lead.
“The underclassmen are looking up to us,” she said. “Keep the team spirit up no matter how hard of a practice or how a hard game.”
Coach Jim Moy has 14 juniors who came out for lacrosse as freshmen. They went 8-9 a year ago and are planning for a .500-plus campaign this year.
So what if Trinity has never had a winning season? Chabura said attitude is everything in lacrosse.
“I would say our ability to communicate,” she said of the Blazers’ strengths. “We have a number of younger and newer athletes. We’re just a group of girls with a good attitude and positivity.”