Freeport Lacrosse Won More in Second Season

by Jonathan Weaver

A four-win season might not look like a success in the record books, but Freeport Yellowjackets girls’ lacrosse players still are going into their end-of-year banquet with a smile.

Freeport (whose team is involved in a co-op agreement with Armstrong Junior/Senior High) finished their Spring 2016 season on a losing skid, but registered four wins on the season – compared to being winless in 2015.

Freeport won games this year against Plum (twice), Greensburg Salem and North Catholic.

Head Coach Bob Conklin reminded players it was their first year in Section 2 of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League. Last year, Freeport was classified as an “open” team.

“(Athletes) kept getting better – they were doing things by the end of the season that I was teaching them all along. Our loss (margins) started to get smaller - instead of always getting beat up 15-5, we were only losing by two or three points – which in lacrosse is pretty good,” Coach Conklin said.

Coach Conklin also reminded Yellowjackets that other teams have been playing together during their entire high school career – not just a season or two.

“All that kept them motivated and kept them trying harder,” Coach Conklin said. “(During) our last three games, they all played very well. They were switching hands, passing and catching – definitely looking like a team.

“Next year, they’ll definitely be improved.”

Coaches and team captains also spoke to keep players’ spirits up.

Freeport actually began the season on a two-game winning streak.

He looked for most student athletes to return next season.

However, Freeport will lose three seniors – Morgan Ruppersberger, Katie Hill and Therese Goldinger – to graduation in a few weeks.

Ruppersberger, who will attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania to study respiratory care this fall, played volleyball since junior high, but decided with Hill and Goldinger to try out for lacrosse last season.

Ruppersberger felt she has improved as well during this season (as well as teaching boyfriend (and senior), Patrick McNulty how to play) at both attack and defensive positions.

“Sports are my life – when I had volleyball, that’s all I did. When I had lacrosse, that’s all I did. I have so much free time now- I don’t know with it,” Ruppersberger said.

Hill, an upcoming Butler County Community College student studying to become a veterinary assistant, explained why the three friends decided to try out for the team.

“Therese, Morgan and I have been friends for quite a while, and we’ve never had a common interest. We’ve never played sports together,” Hill said. “We always hung out, but Morgan plays volleyball, I play hockey and Therese used to play soccer when we were younger, so it was just a nice thing to all do together and it was fun.”

Hill was a varsity goalie on the school hockey team.

The defender also was proud of the team this season.

“I’m proud of the team – just in the past two years, we’ve come so far – from learning how to hold a lacrosse stick to actually scoring goals,” Hill said.

Goldinger – who will study special education at Clarion University of Pennsylvania - said she grew closer with the Freeport underclassmen this season.

“Now, when we see each other in the hallway, we know each other better,” Goldinger said.

She was sad after the season ended, even though Freeport only had a team for two years.

Goldinger played both attack and defense this past season. She now spends her time working at Community Market.

Ruppersberger and Goldinger scored in their last game (which was also Senior Night) versus Indiana last week.

All three girls live within South Buffalo Township and will graduate June 10. None of them have aspirations to play sports in college.

No Comments

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.