Despite losing a head coach and nine seniors to graduation, the varsity girls’ lacrosse team still stands strong.

Overall, Lincoln is second in the Portland league, behind Oregon Episcopal School, to whom the girls have lost twice.

The team has undergone some significant changes in the last year. Head coach Ali Berg left and was replaced by Emily Allen, previously the head girls’ lacrosse coach at Southridge. Meanwhile, nine members of last year’s team also graduated.

Despite this, the team has retained such valuable players as co-captain Ciara Taylor, who was on the 2014 Women’s Division National Tournament Team, and goalkeeper Janaye Godfrey, an alternate for the team. Eleanor Kruse who will represent Lincoln at the 2015 national tournament at Lehigh University on May 23-24.

“From my perspective, this year is a completely different team than last year,” senior Hanna Minns said.

So far, the team has a 7-3 record, and after 10 games and a little over a month with the team, Allen has seen the girls develop.

“The kids’ lacrosse knowledge has grown,” she said. “Their stick skills have gotten better, they’ve gotten in much better shape and it allows them to focus more on learning the game.”

The commitment required to participate is significant, as would be expected with any varsity team. Practices are two to two-and-a-half hours every day after school, with practices generally held from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.

With this commitment comes a robust support system in place to help the girls along. The team has three assistant coaches, Kelly Hagerman, Kelsey McCartey, and Shannon O’Malley.

Co-captains also play an important role in the leadership of the team. Seniors Anna Horton, Ciara Taylor and Minns serve as the team’s “go-to motivators,” a term penned by Minns herself.

For the senior, lacrosse is about much more than just the game. “In a simple sense, it is my job to be a leader not only on the field but also in the classroom, in the halls or outside of school,” Minns said. “People inevitably look up to you just because you’re labelled ‘captain,’ so it has been my goal to be a person and a player worth looking up to.”

As for their time on the field, the team is focused on the state playoffs, which are scheduled for May 20. “The […] goal was to try to make it to the state championship this year, and that’s what we’re shooting for,” Allen said. “We’re getting towards it everyday in practice and everyday they’re getting a little bit better.”

While Minns looks forward to state, she still keeps it all in perspective. “My goal for the end of the season,” she said, “is to simply know that we played our very best.”