Imagine being on a team with the same girls for six years. Always trying to reach the same goal every season, but never achieving the goal set forth. The Goffstown High School girls lacrosse team has always aimed for the best, but has always experienced troubles throughout the girls six years playing together… Leadership, Coaching, and really feeling like a team.

The GHS girls lacrosse has recently been a  new program, growing and starting up about 12 years ago. Throughout the 12 years as an official program, the girls interest has grown greatly starting with only a junior varsity team and now with so many girls, the past few years we’ve had to make cuts, with over 55 girls trying out, to fit on a junior varsity team and a varsity team.

“We are ready to reach our goal this year, we are ready to dominate.” Says Emma Shanahan, Goffstown Grizzlies lacrosse player of six years. Although losing many senior players that added to a strong team, many of the now upperclassmen and underclassmen are confident that the team will still strive and do great things this season.

Last season was a great season for the girls, with varsity having a record of 11-5 and Junior varsity have a record of 14-2. “ We believe that this year we will become undefeated. All the new freshmen players and improving existing players are really making this team stronger everyday.” says senior athlete Ali Larochelle, current captain of the girls varsity team. But Ali is not the only one that believes the team will strive this year. Parent Barry Shanahan says, “I’ve seen these girls playing together  since they were 12, seeing them grow into the strong players they are today. Season after season they want to get better and better, but i can tell this year is different, they want to win and bring home the title of D2 state champs.”

The team has many other challenges facing them this season beside wanting to be the best. The girls team has had a hard time breaking out of clicks and playing together as a team. Many girls don’t socialize with other players that they are not friends with and that can be a big problem as a team. This year players are already seeing a big change and are now including others, especially the underclassmen. The team is also realizing that we must stop playing as individual players and instead as a team because as we all know and as many coaches have said “There is no I in TEAM.”

Another important topic to touch base on about the girls lacrosse team is coaching. The past few years there has been troubles getting coaches to stay with the team, but that all changed three years ago when coach Catherine Bausha came to the team and has stayed with the team for the past three years and has no plans of leaving the team. She has pushed this team as hard as she can and know the teams abilities and potential. Another coach that has recently in the past year joined the team is coach Cindy Provost that now coaches the junior varsity. She has been a great influence on the team always encouraging the girls to do their best and also making sure to keep them on their toes.

Although this team has faced many challenges, they have never put their heads down or gave of their sticks. They have kept pushing forward and have continued to strive to be the best. They believe and know that this season win be there best yet.