The Woodson boys lacrosse team is not accustomed to losing, much less starting a season on a three-game losing streak.
“It has been difficult. We are not a happy team right now. The nature of our program, even though we played three very hard teams, we just aren’t used to being 0-3 and my seniors are taking it very hard,” said head coach Jon FitzGerald.
The Cavaliers dropped their first game to the senior-laden Chantilly Chargers, 9-6, and then took the two-time defending state champs Robinson to double-overtime, falling 9-8.
“When you play a good team and lose, deficit areas are immediately exposed. You don’t know where those deficit areas are until you play good teams. In hindsight, it would have been great to know where those areas were back in February,” said FitzGerald.
FitzGerald was pleased with the Cavaliers’ last outing against private school powerhouse Landon on Monday night. The Cavaliers, despite losing 10-4, were up 3-2 at the end of the first quarter without two starters.
“We have had some pretty brutal practices on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It definitely paid off,” said FitzGerald. “We just want to be able to beat a good team. When that happens, I think that our confidence will rise and we will be a happier team.”
On Tuesday night, the Cavaliers escaped by South Lakes, 9-8, to win their first game of the year and start their Liberty District schedule on the right foot.
<b>THE WOODSON GIRLS</b> lacrosse team, a state finalist last year, also started off with a tough game against the Rams, losing 15-12.
“I don’t think that anybody on our side was unhappy with the game that was played. Losing is never fun, but I wasn’t disappointed with the game that they played on the field,” said head coach Jenn Wish.
The Cavaliers bounced back with a 16-2 blowout of South Lakes to start their Liberty District schedule.
“I think that we would like to pick up where we left off [last year],” said Wish, whose squad feel to Oakton in the state final. “I don’t think that they are looking so much at last year but rather what they want to accomplish this year.”