Lady Seahawks ‘mentally and physically ready’ for playoffs

By Lisa Capitelli Managing Editor

(May 12, 2023) Coach Lindsay Owens thought the Stephen Decatur girls’ lacrosse team played well overall in the Bayside Conference championship on Monday against the Queen Anne’s Lions in Berlin, but added that it was far from their best game.

“I thought our defense did an outstanding job considering Queen Anne’s had possession for the majority of the game. We could not finish in the back of the net on attack and also did not take enough shots overall,” Owens said after the 9-3 loss. “It’s almost impossible to win a game only scoring three goals. Queen Anne’s goalie did a great job in the goal and their speed really challenged us. We will learn from this game and improve on our weaknesses to keep growing stronger.”

Junior Sadie Kauffman scored two of Decatur’s three goals. Senior Kayla Brady netted one.

Junior Addison McDaniel recorded six saves in goal for the Seahawks.

Decatur (8-4, 8-5 overall) received the No. 1 seed in the MPSSAA 2A East Region II and a first-round bye.

The Seahawks will play the No. 5 Easton Warriors, today, Friday at 5 p.m. in Berlin.

During the regular season, the Seahawks topped the Warriors, 19-6.

“The girls are very excited for playoffs and are mentally and physically ready,” Owens said. “The relationships they’ve built this season are strong and they are playing to keep their season alive. In order to be successful in the postseason, we need take one day and game at a time, keep playing together, stay confident, and make every possession count on all parts of the field.”

“A lot of schools in the ESIAC have very deep and talented teams, so there’s not really going to be any easy matches,” he said. “My advice to the team will be to treat each match separately and not to look too far ahead in the draw.”

Singles players will need to remember the importance of footwork and consistency, and doubles players should be attacking at the net again and again, Chalk added.

“I think my overall message to the team will be to enjoy the competition as opposed to letting it cause anxiety,” he said. “When the stakes are higher, it’s easier to forget your technique and tactics. I’m hoping that the team can stay focused enough to play at the level that I know they’re capable of and win the big points.”