The NC Lady Warrior varsity lacrosse team (4-3, 1-2) ventured to Powder Springs on Monday, March 14, to battle the McEachern Lady Indians (1-8, 0-3) on a moderately warm evening. After starting the season off hot with a 3-0 record, the Warriors looked to bounce back after sustaining three straight losses at the hands of East Paulding, Mount Paran, and Cherokee. With wise guidance from head coach Kathy Ezzell along with assistant coaches Rachael Giles, Tracy Ezzell, and Peyton Reid, NC found their groove and beat the Indians in a comfortable 19-8 win. 

“I believe the team did well working together. We got most of our goals off of assists, passed the ball more than usual, and overall helped set each other up for opportunities to score. We played like a true team,” senior captain and midfielder Maddie Diaz said. 

After pre-game warm-ups and shootaround ensued on McEachern’s backfield, the Lady Warriors struck fast with goals from senior attack Molly Clark, senior captain Emma Pearson and senior captain Maddie Diaz. Diaz, who operates the midfielder position, also assisted on multiple goals within the first half. McEachern’s Kaitlin Coleman posted the Indian’s first goal midway into the first half but crumpled under NC’s scoring flurry. The combination of Clark, Diaz and junior midfielder Sophia Soriano along with a fast, physical defense helped put the Warriors up 14-6 at halftime. 

“We’ve had a few tough losses this season, where we lost to some teams we had the ability to beat. Taking care of business and getting all of our teammates involved were really important for us tonight and will help build our confidence going forward,” Pearson said. 

With parents and AP World Geography teacher Jeffrey Bettis in the stands, the Lady Warriors knew they could not let up. Over the course of the second half, the NC coaching staff rotated various underclassmen and JV players into the lineup, who contributed five additional goals, bringing the final score to 19-8. 

Clark finished with five total goals, as Diaz racked in three goals and eight assists to close out the seniors’ impressive performance. Soriano collected seven goals on the night, while junior goalkeeper Emily A Smith chalked up 10 saves representing the talented juniors. 

The Lady Warriors bring their season record back over .500 and focus on each and every game as the playoffs inch closer and closer. NC will travel to the Darlington school in a non-region game on March 15 at 5:45. 

“My ultimate goal for the entire team is to go hard every opportunity that there is, whether it is a goal, a ground ball, or running to a pass you dropped. I also want all of us to enjoy the game and ultimately have fun on the field because that is what it’s all about,” Diaz said.