THE SPORTS DESK
LACROSSE NOTEPAD: Veteran Falcons expect to aoar
The numbers all point to Fredericksburg Academy girls lacrosse starting 2013 in a good situation.
The Falcons finished fourth in the 2012 Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association rankings, qualified for the state tournament for the third straight year and graduated two seniors who have since gone on to play college lacrosse.
But the most intriguing figure surrounding the FA girls presently is 10—the number of starters returning for the Falcons this season.
In particular, leading scorer and All-DAC pick Meredith Kohls (24 goals) will reprise her role in the midfield. She’ll be joined by the Falcon attack, a unit that returns everyone and accounted for 32 tallies in 2012.
Coach Walter Hoffman highlighted upcoming matchups with Stafford and Massaponax, two area high school club teams, as contests the veteran FA squad is eyeing with anticipation.
It’s the first time the Falcons will get a real taste of local competition.
“I know they’re really excited to play some more local games,” said Hoffman. “Before this year, we didn’t get to play anyone in the Fredericksburg area. The closest was Culpeper.”
And with proximity comes familiarity.
“They know a lot of the kids that they’ll be playing against, and that’ll be fun for them,” he added.
When Stafford public schools pick up girls lacrosse as a varsity sport in 2014, Hoffman hopes the development will add to what FA has started.
“We’ve established a program and a really good rapport with a number of college coaches,” said Hoffman. “I think if we’ve got more lacrosse in the area, it’s going to bring more college coaches here, and we’re going to be able to build on that,” he said.
In order for the Falcons to improve upon their 5–8 finish a season ago and push for a DAC title, they’ll need a pair of siblings to kick it into high gear.
The Norair sisters, Meghan and Colleen, will be key pieces to any success FA has on the field in 2013. Colleen, a freshman, netted six goals as an eighth-grader a season ago. Meghan, a junior, didn’t come out for lacrosse in 2012, but netted 30 goals as a freshman in 2011 and hopes to rejoin the midfield fray.
According to their coach, if one of the pair catches fire, look out.
“They really feed off one another,” said Hoffman of the sisters. “They’re very competitive; one’s success drives the other.”
Permalink: http://news.fredericksburg.com/sports/2013/03/18/lacrosse-notepad-veteran-falcons-expect-to-aoar/
