The Elizabethtown College’s women’s lacrosse team has surpassed last season’s win total through their first five games. In fact, it took the Blue Jays just two games to surpass their one-win total of last season. The team has improved dramatically over the course of one season.

Last season, the team won just a single game of their 15-game schedule. This season, the team has won the first two, lost two in a row and won their last game against Lancaster Bible College.

Last season was a learning experience through the losses that the team faced. The lacrosse team was a brand-new group with no returners and therefore they had a lot of making up to do. The team stayed mentally tough through the losses.

Sophomore Addie Stang, a returning player and one of the captains of the team, knows the feeling of having both a mentally and physically tough season. “The group of girls we had playing last year and returning for this season are a very determined group,” Stang said. “I am so proud of how we persevered through and went out everyday giving our all to rebuild and make ourselves better. This season that hardwork is truly beginning to shine.”

Stang acknowledged the character development of the team that result from last year’s season. “The character building which came from that season is something we will never forget. We never plan to experience it again, however we are working on drawing from that to expedite this season and in upcoming seasons,” Stang said.

Compared to last year, the program has had a complete turn around. For the majority of the team last year, it was a brand new sport, and for the entire team it was their first time playing lacrosse at a college level. “The team is beginning to understand each other and play together better then ever before. We are learning each others tendencies, something extremely vital in team sports,” Stang said.

Junior and captain Mary Nell Donahue believes having the same coach as last year helps with the dynamic of the team because the returning players know and can understand the coaches’ way of teaching, which makes it easier on the other players as well. “We have the same coach. She was only the interim coach last year, so there was a chance of her not getting the position again, but she did, and we are glad,” Donahue said.

With the team doing well so far this season, the returning and new players have been on the winning side. “It’s definitely an amazing feeling, going from where we were to where we are, it is kind of indescribable. Many people say you don’t truly know success until you have tasted defeat, I believe this is true and we faced a lot last season but it makes wins that much sweeter,” Stang said.

Donahue also values the feeling she has when winning games, but respects other teams even more from her experience.

“Coming off of a win you are so pumped. The first win we had was so exciting for everyone because all the first-years knew our situation last year, and they were able to see success,” Donahue said. “We have more of an appreciation for the losing teams, because of the situation we were in last year. Sometimes when we are ahead in the game we slow it down because we understand the way it feels to be defeated.”

This year’s team enters Landmark Conference play with a record of 3-2. The Blue Jays only win last season came against Landmark opponent, the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Etown will face off against Catholic University on Saturday afternoon in Washington, D.C. The rematch against USMMA will be on March 28.