Hornets cashing in
By Jason Devaney
For the past few seasons, two girls lacrosse teams have ruled the Northern Region: Oakton and Woodson.
A continuous Concorde District threat, Oakton won the last two state titles. Woodson? They've controlled the Liberty District for years and finished second to Oakton in the 2007 state final.
But Herndon? Where have the Hornets been?
In recent weeks, Herndon has been on the winning end of some crucial district games. The Hornets knocked off Robinson, 12-11, on April 8, and followed that win with a 20-7 thrashing of Fairfax April 16.
Herndon is 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the district, but the squad is hungry. And excited.
"It was the biggest win I've ever had, and I play two other sports [volleyball and basketball]," said senior tri-captain Lesley Buckingham, referring to the Robinson game. "It was a big win when we came back, we had a few people really step up and bring the game back together. When one person steps up, the next person steps up and we all come together."
Buckingham is among a large pack of Hornets with a knack for scoring multiple goals per game. The midfielder has 11 netters, while sophomore Jessica Singer leads the team with 16. Junior Liz Mann has 13. Junior Jamie Skrocki has found the net seven times.
"They've certainly all helped to contribute three to four, sometimes more, goals a night," Herndon coach Lindsey Welch said of her four offensive weapons. "We didn't have those shooters before, we didn't have those girls willing to take shots. We're not gonna score if we don't shoot. They're just more skilled, they've advanced a lot individually."
Having prolific goal scorers is a must for any lacrosse team looking for wins, but a goalkeeper serves as the last line of defense. Whatever happens on the other side of the field, a netminder can make or break a team.
For Herndon, Danielle Kraner has been a wall of granite between the posts. The junior has a .488 save percentage on the 82 shots she has seen.
"You can try to put anybody in goal, but you need to put someone in goal who's not afraid of the ball, who doesn't flinch when it comes at her," said Welch, noting that Kraner's personal coach, Kirk Miller, has been a tremendous help this season. "She'll sacrifice her body to save a goal. She comes out of the goal because of her athleticism. Her being athletic has certainly helped back there."
Herndon is beginning to break the glass at the top of the district – a barrier that has perennially separated Robinson, Westfield, Oakton and Chantilly from the other programs. Now in her third year at the Hornets' helm, Welch was asked what is different about this year than seasons past.
"All it comes down to is basics," said the coach. "The team that can take care of the basics better on any given night is gonna win those close games. If you can catch and throw the ball in the air, you're gonna possess the ball."
And possibly win a title.