After an intense season of non-stop games and practices, the Phoenix boys and girls lacrosse teams had their first doubleheader of the season on April 20 against the Stone Bridge Bulldogs. 

Before the game began, the athletes were excited to play, especially because it was their first doubleheader. “Doubleheaders definitely bring a lot more energy, especially when we watch a little bit of the boys game before,” junior Sierra Bell said. 

The double header started off with the boys JV team. The JV team played through four quarters of  eight minutes each. The Bulldogs took a strong lead in the first quarter, scoring two goals. Toward the end of the first quarter, senior Gabe Hasbun had an open shot on the goal, which almost got the Phoenix a point. However, the Bulldog’s goalie was able to block Hasbun’s shot, which proved that the Phoenix were facing a tough opponent. “As a beginner team, we’ve only been playing less than a year, so [I think] we’re doing very well,” Hasbun said.

As the game progressed, the Bulldogs continued to stay in the lead. Despite the Phoenix’s effort to defend the ball and go on offense, the Bulldogs triumphed and won the game with a final score of 4-0. 

After the boys played, the Phoenix girls came onto the field to test their skills and teamwork. The varsity girls played with two halves. In the first half, the Bulldogs made the Phoenix take on defensive positions, as the Bulldogs had the ball for the majority of the game. The first half ended with a Bulldog lead of 13-0. 

In the second half, the Phoenix took on better defense, and prevented the Bulldogs from scoring more shots. Despite these efforts, the Phoenix lost with a final score of 17-0. 

Although both team’s losses were disappointing to the players, they felt that their teams worked well together. “We brought the energy that we didn’t have the day before, and we went in and we tried our best,” Bell said.

The players also reflected on what they could improve on in future games. “[As a team], we need to improve on clearing the ball and working more as a team and speaking more when we’re playing,” Hasbun said. 

The next lacrosse home game for the boys will be on May 1 against the Dominion Titans. The next lacrosse home game for the girls was on April 25 against the Tuscarora Huskies.

Gallery • 7 Photos

Alyssa Yoon

Junior Ashi Akula attempts a defensive steal after the opposing team’s failed goal attempt. “We were against a very challenging team, so within our team we had goals set rather than just focusing on winning the game. Overall, we got really close in meeting all those goals, and I feel like every game we improve.”