Editor’s Note: The date has been corrected to Saturday, Feb. 19.
Biola Women’s Lacrosse kicked off its first season Saturday, Feb. 19 and Sunday, Feb. 20 in scenic Santa Barbara against the Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels. The Eagles roughed the rain and showed tremendous heart but fell short, losing 15-0 and 13-1.
The team is brand new this year. Only five players have any lacrosse experience, meaning the other 10 players are complete rookies. But this doesn’t keep the ladies from having fun and trying their hardest. Even with constant rain––which they have never played or practiced in–– they showed off their team spirit and dedication to Christ.
Loss to Santa Barbara City College
The first half was difficult and tiring. The girls were outplayed but didn’t give up. In the second half, the Eagles stepped up their game, improving defense. Freshman Hannah Quinn, the Eagles’ rookie goalie, ended the day with a 50 percent save rate. This gave great hope to the team, being an excellent percentage for a first-time player.
“Everyone’s mentality was great,” sophomore Courtney Cocoris said. “They kept their head up and in the game and they didn’t get disappointed or upset when the other team would score. I was really glad that they kept going. The other team started seeing how our attitudes were represented and they started being like, ‘Wow, look at what they’re doing. They’re even losing today and they’re well.’ If we can keep that attitude throughout the season, I’ll be happy.”
Loss to University of Nevada, Las Vegas
On Sunday, Feb. 20 the Eagles had another shot at demonstrating optimism and getting points on the board before heading home. Playing again at Santa Barbara City College, they took on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels. Being shut out the day before, the Eagles donned the field with more determination but still couldn’t claim a victory. The final score was 13-1, Rebels.
Team meets goals, despite loss
The Eagles had two aspirations before the match against the Rebels. The first: hold them under 15 points. The second: put at least one goal on the board. What happened? They fulfilled both, keeping the score at 13-1. Freshman Hannah Quinn played another terrific game defending the goal. She kept calm under pressure and stopped the Rebels from matching the number of goals against in Saturday’s game. Adding to the defensive power, freshman Jaimie Johnson brought some high school experience, helping hold back the Rebels from finding other opportunities. Following Johnson’s lead, the Eagles played a much stronger man-to-man defense than they have in prior games.
On the offensive side of things, sophomore Courtney Cocoris stepped up her game. Cocoris ran the ball down the entire field, did a crease roll, and took a deadly shot, scoring the only Biola goal.
Team’s positive attitude shows
But the greatest highlight of the game was the on-field representation that the Biola ladies exemplified. “We stayed competitive and stayed excited during the whole game,” Cocoris said, “even got compliments from the other coaches and other players that we had been playing against, noticing our attitudes and loved how we prayed before and after games and that we never gave up. So, we were really excited for that. We even had players coming up and talking to us after the games, asking us questions. So, it was a good experience.”
Returning home, the women will be pitted against Cal State Fullerton Friday, March 4 at 7:00 PM.
