The women’s lacrosse team finished up the spring season with a 10-4 overall record and a 7-1 conference record. After beating Whitman College April 24 in Walla Walla Washington, the Boxers earned a shared conference championship with George Fox University.
The championship didn’t come easily, as Whitman gave the Boxers all they could handle in a game that resulted in an 11-10 win for Pacific.
“We just didn’t have much momentum,” head coach Wynne Lobel said. “But it was fun to see the team stay working together and we trusted each other.”
The lacrosse team is now back to back conference champions after taking the title last year. Coach Lobel admitted that the team felt some pressure coming into the season after not losing a single conference game last season.
“We had some pressure on us, so we had to take a step back and be who we are,” Lobel said. “We wanted to work hard but still enjoy ourselves.”
The Boxers lost a few key leaders last season. However, Lobel noted that multiple girls were able to step up and fill that leadership role. Some of these key players included midfielders junior Meg Chapman, junior Paisley Hiefield and senior defender Mahea Wong.
“We knew we wouldn’t win the conference in the same way we won it last year,” assistant coach Kelly Stevens said. “We had to adjust to a new play style, and I think that was what made this team great.”
A number of players earned All- Northwest Conference rights, as Pacific placed five players on the First Team. Junior attackers April Lanz and Jordyn Godfrey were named to the First Team list, along with Chapman, Hiefield and Wong.
Lobel said that the team is looking to sustain the success of the past two years by continuing to work hard and investing in the players that are here.
“It’s fun to see the improvement from year to year,” Lobel said. “We have players that can’t wait for next year and that’s exciting for me as a coach.”
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