Credit: Melina Barris

“As the last few games are coming up and playoffs are about to start it’s kinda hitting me that these are the last few lacrosse games I am going to play in high school and with my sister,” captain senior Lily Mele said.

Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) spring teams have begun playoffs. The girls varsity lacrosse team has its first game on Monday, June 3, against Notre Dame Academy, Worcester at 4 p.m..

Because WHS was seeded at number four in Division III, they had a bye round before their first game. Last year, WHS made it into the Division II state finals but lost to Notre Dame Academy, Hingham.

“Our goal this year is mainly just to make it as far as possible,” junior Zoe Roi said. “The best thing we can do is just try our hardest and have a positive mindset. Truly, just having fun is the most important part of this all. Last playoffs were hard, but we have been working hard this season and the bond our team has is tight.”

According to captain senior Lily Mele, there is thought that goes into getting the team ready for games. The team’s method for warming up before every game is known as their “pre-game” ritual. Parts of this include doing a psych the day of the game at school to get the girls excited and ready for the game. Lastly, the team has team dinners once a week for bonding, where they discuss their future plans on how to improve for upcoming games. All of these events tie into the teammates’ connections with one another.

“It has taken us a lot of time this season to figure out how to work with each other, but this year off the field the team has bonded a lot better,” Mele said.

Mele feels that the team has experienced some major changes to its dynamic on and off the field, especially after losing Class of 2023 alum Dierdre Brown, who now plays National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I lacrosse at American University.

“We lost some valuable players that ultimately brought the team together,” Mele said. “It has taken us a lot of time this season to figure out how to work with each other but this year off the field the team has bonded a lot better.”

The bond that the players have contributes to their success on the field, which ultimately affects performance in playoff games. Mele looks forward to playoffs and competing with her teammates and her younger sister, junior Jillian Mele, who is also on the team.

“I am also excited for the energy playoffs bring,” L. Mele said. “I love seeing the Wayland youth lacrosse players coming to our playoff games and our community coming to support us.”

During playoffs last year, the girls made it into the finals, which set a high standard for this season to succeed. With the support of the captains, the team hopes to work together for a successful run this year.

“The captains led us to success,” sophomore Sofia Dicarlo said. “After our last playoffs, it felt like there were big shoes to fill because we weren’t sure we could do it again. But, these captains have helped as all grow together as a team. I really will miss them because this season was really fun.”