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With two Tigers on her heels, defensive player Elly Howell ’26 takes the ball around the net in hopes of making a pass. During the game, both defense and offense positions played smarter through every quarter. “Usually we’re not as smart about our passes, but this game we got more open. We got more passes and more shooting able to happen, more teamwork happening this game,” Howell said.
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Looking up, Ana Jovanovic ’27 looks for the ball after it went up during a face-off. Winning face-offs and starting each point with intensity helped the Warriors stride forth with a lead for most of the game. “I knew they were going to be aggressive so I was mentally preparing for that,” Jovanovic said.
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Calling out to her teammates, Isabelle Horonzy ’26 looks for another player to pass to. The difficulty of their match-up against the Tigers kept Horonzy and the team on their toes. “I go into non-count games [like this] with the same if not more intensity as count games, because when we play non-count games it’s usually teams that are better than us and we’re challenging ourselves for fun,” Horonzy said.
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Cradling the ball, Ana Jovanovic ’27 dodges a Tiger. During the game, Jovanovic scored several goals with strong offensive maneuvers. “A lot of it happens in split second opportunities, so you really have to keep your eyes open. [I have to] make sure I’m watching if my defender’s looking at me, because the second they look away is a great opportunity to go,” Jovanovic said.
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With anticipation, Lauren McLain ’25 and Piper Beal ’27 watch the last minutes of the game. The end of the game proved to be especially intense with the Warriors and Tigers tied at only minutes left.
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Slightly crouched, Isabelle Horonzy ’26 waits to hear the referee’s whistle before charging towards the St. Agnes Tigers’ goal. Horonzy’s offense and defense helped keep the Tigers at bay throughout the game. “We were so incredibly evenly matched that going into this game I had no idea what to expect,” Horonzy said.
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Embracing, Ana Jovanovic ’27 and Isabelle Horonzy ’26 celebrate a goal early in the game. Jovanovic played a key offensive position throughout the game, scoring multiple goals. “I knew they were going to be a tough team, so I really try to lock in,” Jovanovic said.
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Circled up, Talia Philip ’25, Elly Howell ’26, and Isabelle Horonzy ’26 listen to their coach’s words during a time out. The time out, called during the tense last half of the game, was used to discuss the girls’ strategy and encourage them to persevere to a win. “If a mistake happens, we never want to criticize each other, it’s a team sport and having ‘goldfish memory’ [helps our morale],” Philip said.
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Following a delayed start to the season due to inclement weather, the combined Westwood, McNeil, and Round Rock Varsity Girls Lacrosse team played the St. Agnes Tigers at the Town & Country Club on Friday, Feb. 28, in a scrimmage.
The Warriors started the game off neck and neck with the Tigers, setting the score immediately 2-2. However, pushing in aggressive plays, the Warriors set a 7-2 lead at the end of the first quarter after a slew of powerful shots and smart passes. Moving into the second, the girls looked to maintain their steady pace with goals from Isabelle Horonzy ‘26 and Ana Jovanovic ‘27.
“We always say we want to set the pace of the game. We’re trying to push the fast break, take every shot we can, so we start off really aggressive for the lead,” Horonzy said.
During the second quarter, the Tigers found a more aggressive offense, soon closing the lead with three unanswered goals that overwhelmed the Warriors defense and brought the score 7-5. Before halftime, each team then scored another goal, ending the half at 8-6, with the Warriors still in the lead.
“When the game is so close, it’s easy to get frantic,” Jovanovic said. “Patience is so important because it lets everyone settle down and think. We [try to] make sure everyone’s calm so we can think properly about what we’re going to do [the rest of the game].”
Coming out of the half, the Warriors kept their head on straight, maintaining a narrow lead and keeping the ball mostly on the Tigers’ side of the field waiting for any opportunity to shoot. However, this aggression and the intensity of the game, Horonzy received a yellow card for a slashing penalty, putting her out of the game for the next two minutes.
“They’re counting down [the time] while I’m on the sideline, but I’m trying to watch every single play that’s going on,” Horonzy said.
These observations eventually paid off however, as at the end of her two minute timeout, Horonzy saw a chance and capitalized on a scoop and score, setting the team ahead, 13-10.
“I’m trying to watch every single thing and know exactly where the ball is going to be exactly when I come out, so I’m able to just jump right in and help my team,” Horonzy said.
Now in the last quarter, the Warriors backed up and intensified their defense as the Tigers made several consecutive goals, putting both teams neck and neck again with a climbing 15-14 score.
“[When the score is so close], I’m trying to get more space between the defense, dodging and tricking them, because the more space you get, the more likely you’ll be able to get the ball and find open people,” defensive player Elly Howell ‘26 said.
With a tactical maneuver, the Tigers swerved around the Warrior defense to put the game at a 15-15 tie with only minutes left as both teams felt their exhaustion.
“It’s so hard [to have stamina to finish strong] and it’s something I’ve had to grow to learn,” Horonzy said. “It’s very aggressive, there’s a lot of pushing, it’s a contact sport, so [that’s] what it’s going to be,I just have to stay in that state of mind that I want to win.”
Through the intensity, the Tigers’ head coach received a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct, forcing her to pull a Tiger off the field for the vital last moments of the game, a devastating blow to both their defense and offense.
“Their coach was screaming to a point where it’s [considered] not sportsmanlike at all,” Horonzy said. “At that point, if it’s continuous yellow cards on the team and the coach is also yelling about it, they’ll give the coach a yellow card.”
With 30 seconds left on the clock and the Warriors in possession of the ball, midfielder Abby Whittenburg ‘25 charged towards the Tigers’ goal, narrowly dodging their shut-out defense, eventually passing to Camille Prevost ‘25, who took a straight shot at the net for the Warriors’ 16th point and the overall win.
“[The girls] played better this game than I’ve ever seen, playing a lot smarter,” Head Coach Amanda Keel said.
The Girls Lacrosse team will play their next game in the Warrior Bowl next Monday, March 3, against the Lake Travis Cavaliers.
