Girls’ lacrosse secures spot in CIF after win against Beverly Hills High School

This year has cultivated a new identity for the Samo girls’ lacrosse team as they enter the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). As of May 5, the team is currently ranked 8th in the southern section of playoffs. This came to be known after their game against Beverly Hills High School on Friday, May 1st, as they beat the Normans 11-6, with a final league record of 9-3.Despite the fact that the team only became an official sport at Samo last year, the players have made clear progress and are in the running for a position in CIF playoffs.According to captain Luka Letica (’16), the girls were motivated and mentally prepared to bring all their effort to the field.“It was our last league game, so we were really excited and pumped up,” Letica said. “We all came out with a drive to win.”With the aspiration to win, Samo took a strong lead at the beginning, concluding the first half with a 3 point lead and a score of 7-4.According to coach Lauren Cavallo, the team needs improve on becoming more patient and dynamic on each attack, as well as having a more aggressive attitude for every ball.This progress has slowly been able to be seen, as Iris Watanabe (’18) hustled and fought hard for every ground ball, while simultaenously proving herself as a solid backbone on the defensive.“We’ve transformed immensely with a lot more commitment this year and a spark in attitude that we are a good enough team who can compete to win games,” Cavallo said.According to Cavallo, the team has held its successful record by following the play by play at every game, and by transforming into a team with a lot more commitment and confidence.Samo has transformed dramatically since last year, from converting themselves into a team focused on introducing the basics of lacrosse, to a CIF contender.This information is current as of the day we sent off to press, Tuesday, May 5.