Dartmouth girls lacrosse looks forward to another successful season
Apr 14, 2024
Dartmouth's Sarah Kelly avoids New Bedford players at the game Thursday, April 11. Photos by Leighah Beausoleil
Dartmouth’s goalie Arlene Johnson and another player defend the net.
Dartmouth's Kallie Rose attempts to stop the New Bedford player.
Co-Captain Grace Haskell gets ready to face off with New Bedford.
Dartmouth players go after the ball.
Dartmouth's Makai Vincent looks for an open teammate to pass to.
Dartmouth High School varsity girls lacrosse celebrated its first win of the season, with the defeat of New Bedford High School Thursday, April 11.
Head Coach Nicole Simas said this brings the team’s record to 1-2 for the season.
“We’re getting there,” Simas said after the game. “We’re figuring it out. We have a strong senior team.”
She said the goal now is to build off this win and gain momentum from it.
This year, there are 10 seniors on the team. “We’re excited to see where they can take us,” Simas said.
This is Simas’ third year as coach of girls lacrosse at Dartmouth. This season, the focus has been on “finishing — placing the ball in the net, being able to face the goalie, find a good placement and just scoring more goals and getting more offensive opportunities,” Simas said.
“We came out pretty hot and fast and that's what I want them to continue,” she said. “We just want to always start off with fire in us.”
Last season the girls finished 14-3. They look to keep up the high win count this season, but Simas acknowledges “every team in the area is very good.”
She highlighted how much all the schools, including Dartmouth, have continued to improve.
In regard to team Dartmouth, Simas said she’s “proud of these girls that come every day, they ask great questions [and] are trying to get better every day and it's a great group to be around.”
Grace Haskell, is a senior this year serving as captain alongside her teammates Makai Vincent and Kallie Rose.
Haskell said she’s been playing lacrosse since she was 9 years old and still loves it.
“We have a fantastic culture,” she said. “Simas has really brought it from the ground up. She came halfway through my second year and just completely changed it.”
Haskell said everyone on the team loves one another and are able to be “best friends” on and off the field.
“It's just a great environment and I'm so happy to be a part of it,” she said.
Haskell said as a captain again this year, she hopes to improve the team dynamic on the field.
“When we’re working together, we’re at our best,” she said, emphasizing the importance of not quitting and picking each other up — “and at the same time, we’re giving everything we have.”
Haskell added, “I’m just very excited and I'm ready for a great season.”
