Stewart Johnson
DPS_GLax
Bouncing back from setbacks and making things right appears to be a theme for the Carroll girls lacrosse team. Lady Dragons coach Rainey Hodgson saw the trend continue all season long.
The ability to rebound was on display early in the schedule. After winning a tightly-contested season opener 9-8 over Coppell, Carroll dropped the next three in a row to Keller, Austin Anderson and reigning Division I state champs Hockaday by a combined total of 45-26. But even though the Lady Dragons suffered some tough blows, the team didn’t stay down for long.
“Being able to bounce back and win the next five straight games shows how resilient this team is,” says Hodgson, who’s in her third year leading Carroll (7-4 overall, 2-3 in district with two games remaining). “They have understood that in order to be successful, we all have to thrive together.”
The Lady Dragons continue to rebound from a 2023 season that saw them finish 6-9 after losing their first-round playoff contest. They even buried some ghosts this spring with a 12-8 regular season win over Flower Mound, the same team that knocked them from the postseason opener last year and the quarterfinal round the year before.
“[That] game meant a lot to our team, and it was crucial to make sure we stay focused in the moment to do our jobs and not get caught up in the emotions of it all,” Hodgson says, adding that the win “was a huge achievement for our team and program.”
After graduating seven seniors in 2023, just two seniors remain — defender Brooklyn Crowe and midfielder Keira Wallace. The roster is rounded out with five freshmen, six sophomores and nine juniors.
Two of the team’s younger players are standing out this season, with freshman midfielder Alexa Koerckel leading in scoring (33 goals), while also registering 35 draw controls, 19 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers. Sophomore attacker Haley Marburg has added 12 goals. Junior attacker Brooke Sganga (29 goals) has been an offensive force, while junior attacker Bria White has contributed 12 assists. Defensively, Wallace has led the way with 18 caused turnovers and 23 ground balls.
“They are so explosive and relentless as one unit,” Hodgson says. “When the defense makes a stop, it sparks our offensive play, and vice versa.”
The team has also shown its ability to play with cool heads despite intense play from opponents. Facing Episcopal School of Dallas (ESD) in the fittingly Military Appreciation Game, Carroll found itself battling against an aggressive team, and tempers could easily have flared. But the Lady Dragons kept it in check and walked away with a win. Carroll will need to finish strong with a similar mix of maturity and determination when the young and talented team enters the postseason.
“In order for our team to excel in the postseason, they will have to play a full game,” she says. “There are no minutes we can waste on not executing our game plan.”
As reported on May 16, 2024.