STOWE AWAY: Hun School girls’ lacrosse player Emma Stowe looks to unload the ball in recent action. Last Wednesday, junior midfielder Stowe scored two goals in a losing cause as Hun fell 18-4 to the Hill School (Pa.). The Raiders, who lost 13-12 to the Mercersburg Academy (Pa.) last Saturday to move to 0-9, play at the Shipley School (Pa.) on April 24 before hosting the Blair Academy on April 26. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

In taking the helm of the Hun School girls’ lacrosse team this spring, Samantha Schwartz’s coaching approach has centered on one main theme.

“The thing that I have been driving home with our girls is that everything is effort-based,” said Schwartz, who joined the Hun program midway through last spring as an assistant coach and previously had stints coaching club in New York, Michigan, Texas and Pennsylvania, and high school coaching in Michigan and Texas.

“That is what determines games — 50/50 balls and possession time. That is important. If you can win stat group, there is more of a chance of you winning the game. This is all within your control so your effort and your hustle is something you can control. That is what we are trying to build on.”

Last Wednesday against the Hill School (Pa.), the Raiders displayed effort and hustle, trailing 2-1 midway through the first quarter.

“We came out of the gate and we were really competitive,” said Schwartz. “The draw controls didn’t go our way but we had girls around the ball. That was really good to see.”

Hill, though, reeled off five straight goals over the rest of the period to break the game open on the way to an 18-4 victory.

“Hill played a great game, it is hard to come back from a deficit when you get five goals against you but they didn’t quit throughout the whole game,” said Schwartz. “They kept battling back and staying competitive.”

The one-two punch of junior midfielders Keaton Vales and Emma Stowe played well in defeat for Hun as they each tallied two goals.

“They went all out around the crease, really trying to drive our offense,” said Schwartz of Vales and Stowe. “They were some of our leaders out there. Keaton did some really good draw controls. They come out with some good 50/50 balls for us. Emma has a nice shot, she has gotten so much better even from last season. She is truly taking on that leadership role on our offense.”

Goalie Julia Wolfe held the fort, making several saves in the face of the Hill onslaught.

“Julia is a wall, she has been playing lights out all year,” said Schwartz. “She is also one of our leaders, she has been a real solid foundation back there for us.”

Due to her experience with the program last season, Schwartz knew what she was getting into this spring.

“We are a really young team, we are really new to the sport as well,” said Schwartz, noting that the program graduated seven seniors last year. “We have had to go through some growing pains of just learning the sport and then bring it up to the level of some really high, tough competition. I already knew them a bit. It was really cool because I saw what we were trying to build and grow here. The head position opened up and I was ready to take that on and fill that role.”

While the Raiders, who lost 13-12 to the Mercersburg Academy (Pa.) last Saturday in moving to 0-9, have been enduring some painful moments, Schwartz is seeing growth in the squad.

“As the games have been going they are bonding as a team, they are starting to rally behind each other,” said Schwartz. “Every single game we are playing it more from start to finish. We are playing all the way through and still trying to stay positive and learn how to be teammates as well.”

Despite the record, the Hun players have remained positive.

“That is the one awesome thing about this group, they will always be there and support each other and cheer each other on,” said Schwartz. “Wins or losses, they are there for each other.”

With the Raiders playing at the Shipley School (Pa.) on April 24 before hosting the Blair Academy on April 26, Schwartz is confident that the wins will start coming.

“Going forward, we are definitely trying to get that first step on the 50/50, we are starting to get in the scrum,” said Schwartz. “That is awesome to see but we have to be able to maintain it. I think that is going to be our key and if we can get that, we can get the momentum and get those possessions and the rest is going to fall into place.”