After finishing second in the DAC-VII conference, the Chapel Hill women’s lacrosse team ended its season with a 21-3 loss to Cardinal Gibbons on May 6 in the first round of the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs.
The Tigers finished with a record of 10-7 overall and went 7-3 in conference play, finishing three games behind conference champions East Chapel Hill High School.
Despite the early exit in the playoffs, the team had many notable accomplishments over the course of the season, including the Tigers’ sweep of crosstown rivals Carrboro High School.
In the team’s first match up with the Jaguars on April 5, the Tigers prevailed 18-1, with the game being called off just after halftime due to the Tigers’ overwhelming lead. The women maintained their dominance in their second match with Carrboro on April 20, winning the game 23-4.
Sophomore Addie Gilner led the team in scoring, averaging three goals and 2.5 assists per game, tallying 93 points over the course of the season.
The Tigers graduate five seniors, including team captain Amelia Stephenson, who will play lacrosse next year at the University of Mary Washington.
“Amelia was the leader of our team and our most respected player,” junior defensive player Claire Willoughby said. “She set the tone for every practice and game and had an unmatched level of athleticism. She would consistently perform on game days and was a great senior for our underclassmen to look up to.”
Hoping to improve upon the Tigers’ second-place conference finish next year, Gilner expressed confidence that the team will build upon this year’s successes.
“The team is young and we are in a great position for building the program,” she said. “We will continue to make improvements on reading the game and deciding when to speed up or slow down the game.”
Willoughby echoed Gilner’s optimism.
“We have a really impressive group of freshmen coming in, and almost every starter is returning,” Willoughby said. “I think the team is going to have a great season next year.”
