In a battle between two schools that share the same campus, the Poly girls topped Western 15-2 in lacrosse action on Tuesday.
It was a game played on an uneven field marred by clumps of unmown grass and weeds, and patches of dirt that made footing difficult and boundary lines next to impossible to see.
Nevertheless, it was the second time the Lady Engineers have topped the Doves this season. The win keeps Poly’s league record perfect at 8-0 as they head toward east division playoff action. They are 8-1 overall.
Eight different players scored for Poly in the first half to help the Lady Engineers take a 10-0 lead to intermission.
Grace Kearney and Selena Guerrero-Martin each scored twice in the opening half, with Sukaina Miftah, Zoe Krulak-Palmer, Emma Dobry, Jessa Wais, Kheri Mobley and Kristin Greene also hitting the net. Kearney, Miftah and Dara Wais each had an assist.
Western’s goals came in second half action when Daja Schley and Destiny Williams scored.
After building the 10-0 lead, Poly head coach Josh Headley began running the team through some of the plays it has been working on.
“The benefit for us is that we get to run plays, the benefit for the other team is that, in a lot of cases, they may not have played against teams that are running plays, so it gives them a chance to go against a set-play situation.”
Headley said he was really pleased with Guerrero-Martin's play, not so much for what occurred on the field but more with what she was doing on the sideline.
“When I would sub her off, she and the rest of the girls would get together and figure out a new play, or a twist on an old play,” Headley said. "We’d throw it in there to see what would work and what didn’t.”
For Western coach Mary Hain, it has been a season where the focus has been on building a team, and the coach has seen steady improvement since the early days of practice in March. Some of the basics, such as catching and ground balls, are better, though Hain said the team still needs to improve its on-field positioning.
“The team has greatly improved. The parents have noticed how hard the kids are working and they’ve been very supportive,” she said.
“I’m very happy with their performance and dedication—they can really grow into a nice group. I hope they stay with it, and hope they will recruit for next year,” she said.
She credited a preparation day with Maryvale as helping the Doves.
“Ten of their girls and their parents worked with our girls one-on-one. That was great,” Hain said.
Western is 3-5 and has games remaining against Digital Harbor and Patterson.