On Saturday, April 29, 2023, the Libertyville girls varsity lacrosse team came up just short against the Schaumburg Saxons on senior day. Despite the cold rain pouring down, they continued to push against the opposing team and show how much of a family they are.
In just the first few minutes of the game, sophomore Sophie Lee (5) sprinted towards the goal and set a score of 1-0 for the Wildcats. The team started with a powerhouse of seniors who helped encourage their team and spread the joy of the play.
Throughout the game, the Saxons made it clear that they were going to give Libertyville their all. However, the Wildcats felt the same way. Even when the score was 1-7 around the end of the first half you could see that the Wildcats were not backing down and their morale was still strong.
Some phenomenal plays were made throughout the second half of the game. The Saxons had approached the Libertyville goal with force, but they were not expecting senior Sarah Wuh (11) to snatch the ball from their possession, allowing for junior Leah Chung (4) to receive the pass and make a breakaway straight towards the goal.
Another shining moment came from not only one of the seniors, but one of the captains herself, Sophie Chalifoux (10), who made an outstanding sprint across the field.
Chalifoux’s teammate, sophomore Jana Abdelrahman, said that “she’s helped me a lot. She is involved in so many things but she’s just really there for our team. She deserved the captain title.”
Chalifoux made it clear through the game how much she supported her teammates, cheering both on and off the field.
Senior Leah Chudy (12) had a great play where she used her cross country skills to make up the distance between her and the goal. While the ball remained by the Saxons’ goal, there was a lot of new action to be noticed.
An opposing player made a quick steal, but lost her balance and the ball was back in the air. Senior Emily Dillon (18) made quick work of it and stole the ball with the player already up and on her. Even after she took a brief fall, she never lost strength and immediately reached the ball again to pass to her teammates.
One penalty shot was called throughout the game against the Saxons at the 17-minute mark. The Wildcats lined up to shoot, but unfortunately missed. Players spiraled to get the rebound, but it was too late. Still the Wildcats battled on.
The game ended with a score of 1-14, but the team remained happy as they had a senior day lunch to look forward to, one that was well deserved for the amount of effort they put into each play of the game.
Senior Erika VonKirchbach (23) said, “The seniors this year had a tough challenge of welcoming so many new players, but I think this team has seriously bonded and grown from where we started and we’ll continue to grow together”.
Despite the loss, the team continues to grow. They have their next game on Wednesday, May 3, at Stevenson.