LADUE – Prior to the season, the MICDS girls lacrosse players chose ‘Elevate our Level’ as their team motto.
Raising the level of play for the two-time, defending state champions might seem like a tall ask, but after sustaining injuries to key players and enduring an early, in-state loss, the Rams rallied around that mantra on Wednesday.
“Coming back from a loss, we knew we had to play as a team,” sophomore Caroline Koman said.
Koman scored five goals, junior Madison Sineff added four, and Kendall Curry made 15 saves as MICDS held off a furious second half charge to defeat John Burroughs 13-10 Wednesday at Ron Holtman Stadium.
MICDS (4-2) defeated John Burroughs for the 11th consecutive time dating back to 2014, including a victory in the Missouri state semifinals last season.
Both teams employed a face-guarding defense to neutralize the effect of the opponent’s most dynamic offensive player – Ava Goldson of MICDS and Annie Calhoon of John Burroughs.
The tactic forced other players to produce offensively, and Koman eagerly volunteered. With MICDS leading 4-3, Koman scored three successive goals – the first on a free position shot, the second on a slick spin move between defenders, and the third one sent the MICDS bench into a frenzy.
Moments after Curry snagged a point-blank shot from John Burroughs freshman Katy Chapman, the ball found Koman, who transitioned it into a goal less than 10 seconds after the Curry save to give the Rams a 7-3 lead.
“It really fires up the whole team. We all get excited and we bounce off each other’s energy,” Curry said of the save-to-goal moments.
Curry continued to stymie the John Burroughs attack with a save on a free position shot, followed seconds later by a ridiculous right foot rejection, which allowed Koman and Sineff to end the half in style.
Twice in the final five minutes Koman spotted a cutting Sineff, who deposited shots into the twine. The Rams took a 10-4 lead into the locker room with five goals coming directly off a pass from a teammate.
“We had really great energy in warmups, and we were collectively fired up,” Sineff said. “We were channeling the frustration from the loss (to St. Joseph’s) and we were ready to move on, make the improvements and approach this game with high intensity and energy.”
Koman scored the first goal of the second half on a free position shot before the Bombers made their move.
John Burroughs (2-3) continued to shadow Goldson with Esther Pottebaum, who held the Rams top scorer without a goal, while sending timely double-teams at the other MICDS ball carriers.
The Bombers forced errant passes, scooped 50-50 balls and changed momentum.
“We made a few adjustments on the draw, and defensively, we said we have nothing to lose. Let’s lock arms and play for each other and the rest will follow, and they did that,” John Burroughs coach Meghan DiGiulio said.
The Bombers also began to solve the riddle of Curry.
Freshman Reese Rafferty scored twice, slithering between defenders before emerging directly in front of the goal crease. Chapman accepted and deposited a beautiful feed from Calhoon, who found a way to contribute assists and ground balls despite the tough, face-guarding defense of MICDS senior Erica Engelhardt.
John Burroughs junior Eva Kasal converted a perfect feed from junior Rosalie Tasker to slice the deficit to three goals. A free position shot by senior Nadia Steinle cut the deficit to 12-10 with 52 seconds remaining.
“We just settled in and played how we know how to play in that second half. I’m really proud of them,” DiGiulio said.
But Koman had another level to climb.
After a ground ball scoop off the ensuing faceoff by MICDS junior Ella Etherington, Koman delivered the game-clinching goal by mapping a direct line to the left post. It was her career-best fifth of the game and completed an eight-point afternoon.
“I knew I could take it. They made a really good comeback, and I just wanted to get that one extra goal,” Koman said.
And with key players out of the lineup and without a goal from the dynamic Goldson, it took an extraordinary team effort for MICDS to escape with a win on Wednesday.
“We’ve had a lot of injuries and it’s disappointing, but we’re not letting that get us down,” Sineff said. “No excuses, we’re just trying to get better every day.”
And elevate their level.
