When the AHS Girls Varsity Lacrosse team stepped off the field at the end of their game on May 26, the feelings among the players were bittersweet. Although they had fallen in a tough 16-10 loss to Madison, the team had achieved more than ever before.

      This year, the team advanced to the region semifinals for the first time in five years, and played a total of 21 games, which, according to head coach Cindy Hook, is “the most ever for AHS girls lacrosse.”

      Coming as far as they did was possible through the combined efforts of every player and the determination and momentum that the team gained throughout the season.

      “Our team worked very hard this season to be where we are now,” said freshman attack player Paige Britton. The team came out strong, winning their first two games against Marshall and Falls Church by more than six goals each. Following this, they played in the AHS Tournament on the weekends of March 20 and 27, and finished the tournament with a record of 3-2.

      The team’s few losses brought them more than just motivation to win their next games, but also helped propel them forward in other ways. ”The regular season loss at West Springfield really improved our focus and determination-we learned a lot from that game, became a much stronger team, and then dominated Woodson at home.  That win gave us confidence that we could compete at the Regional level,” Hook said. The 15-12 loss was followed by five straight wins to finish out the regular season, including those against South County and Woodson, which many players considered a key game.

      Coming off of these wins, the team entered the district playoffs and beat West Potomac and West Springfield, but fell to Woodson in the district championship 14-12. The loss didn’t stop the team, though, who advanced into regional play feeling confident.

      “The best game we played this season was versus Chantilly because everyone was on their game and we crushed them!” said senior midfielder Maggie Bermingham. Senior attack Maggie Craig also counts Chantilly as a highlight, noting that it was their best game. In the 11-8 win, Paige Britton and junior Katie Vu led the scoring with three goals each.

      Their next regional game was a 10-9 overtime win against Yorktown, which put the Atoms in the final four teams left in the region going into their final game against Madison. The season ending may have come earlier than they had wanted, but the players were positive overall about the outcome. The team’s final record was 15-6.

      “I’m very happy with the season outcome because we went farther than any other team in AHS history has gone before,” said Bermingham, who was a top scorer this season along with Paige Britton and Maggie Craig. All three players scored more than 30 goals each.

      Players returning next year are already looking at the season as a whole and looking ahead. “Our transition down the field improved a lot this year,” said junior defender Megan Loman. Britton also noted, “One thing we could improve on is getting to the ball more on ground balls.”

      Overall, the season was a successful one for girls lacrosse, and next year the team hopes to do it again. Said Craig,” I am very happy because we set a high bar for the next Varsity lacrosse teams to come through AHS.”