By Anastasia Stepankowsky

The Bainbridge Island girls lacrosse team had an easy Tuesday evening, routing the Kennedy Catholic Lancers 20-3 at Sunset Park.

The Spartans scored 15 unanswered points in the first half. Mackenzie Chapman and Sofia Olson led Bainbridge, each tallying five goals for the match.

“We were playing a really hard team. But I think it went really well. We have a lot to learn and a lot to take away from this game so we know what to focus on for future games,” said Natalie Merrill, the Lancers’ first-year varsity head coach.

The Lancers got down to the Spartans’ side of the field only three times in the first half. When Kennedy Catholic did manage to get the ball, the Spartans often intercepted passes and managed to recover most ground balls.

“There’s room for improvement everywhere. We have to focus on communicating and working the ball through each other. We have really been focusing on teamwork through the past couple weeks of our practices,” Merrill said.

The Spartans played their second string most of the second half, when the Lancers scored all their goals. Hayden Hiner scored the first of her two goals within the first three minutes of the half. Ashley Cusack scored the other Kennedy Catholic goal.

Merrill doesn’t want the loss to define the team’s season. Although, the outcome was disappointing, she said Bainbridge gave her team a model to emulate.

“It’s always going to be hard, and we’re going to be trailing behind. But I thought we did really good and held our own and worked together as a team. I think it’s only going to get better from here,” Merrill said.

Merrill comes to Kennedy Catholic with an extensive lacrosse background. She was president of her club lacrosse team at Washington State University and has taken lead roles in many lacrosse camps and clinics.