Colonels march past Blazers

APRIL 19, BLAZER STADIUM—

It started just like so many of the other girls' lacrosse games this season. An opposing player won the face-off and drove straight downfield to the goal, scoring in the first minute of play. Although the game brought forth frequent "flashes of brilliance" for the Blazers, according to Coach Mike Horne, they could not keep up with Magruder and lost 8-14, to extend their losing streak to seven games.

After the first goal, the Blazers made several strong attempts on goal, but couldn't get past the superb Magruder goalkeeper. Midway through the half, the Colonels scored two goals in quick succession, but were quickly answered by a flurry of three goals in 35 seconds by the Blazers.

Magruder came right back after the face off with a goal of their own to retake the lead. The Blazer defense firmed up and held them off until near the end of the half, when the Colonels broke through again and scored four more goals in the final minutes, interrupted only by a single goal by senior Maddie Driskill, her second of the night.

Going into the second half down 4-8, the Blazers still had a chance to pull off the win. Their prospects looked even better when, in the first minute of the half, freshman Susie Branson drove up field and scored unassisted. The home team's hopes were dashed however, when the Magruder offenders unleashed a spurt of six goals in 15 minutes, putting the game utterly out of reach for Blair.

But the Blazer girls didn't let the score inhibit their persistence. Branson, Driskill and junior Dana Ballard each scored their second goal of the night, and the offense continued to pressure the Colonels until the last second.

Despite the score, juniors Karla Berberich and Elena Talbott played very well on defense, according to Horne. They covered opponents closely and helped move the ball up field, playing a solid 50 minutes.

Blair's team is "very young" this year, said Horne, with only six seniors, two of whom are injured. The team had three freshmen and two sophomores starting tonight, which will pay off in the future. "[They] are finding themselves in good opportunities to contribute and learn the game," said Horne.

According to Horne, the team needs to work on playing consistently and not making mental mistakes, which will come naturally with experience.

The team's next game is Tuesday, April 25 at Gaithersburg.