By Katherine Kelly, Managing Editor
The Vashon girls lacrosse team, coached by Larry Dubois, has had a successful season. The Valkyries, named after the female warriors from Norse Mythology, practice five days a week at the Vashon Elementary School field, next to the Harbor School.
This season, the team played 10 games, with eight wins and two losses. Most of the wins were by a considerable margin.
The team is made up of high schoolers, and they currently play in a league with other high school JV teams. They play as a club team and not for VHS.
Captain Lily Mueller is a senior this year and is enjoying the winning season.
“I credit our success to being able to work as a team,” Mueller said. “We all know what each other can do, and we are good at trusting [and] relying on one another to do that.”
High scorer senior Emily McArthur feels that the team has come together this year, and that there is more of a family atmosphere than in previous seasons.
“We didn’t have any new girls come out [to play] this year, so we [had] a quick start to practices since everyone already knew most of the basics,” McArthur said.
Both Mueller and McArthur credit much of their success to their coach, Dubois.
“Dubois is one of the best coaches I’ve been taught by,” McArthur said. “I started freshman year with no skills at all and could hardly catch a ball at the time.”
Dubois has built a reputation on the island for his fun and exciting attitude in both school and practice. He knows when to have a good time, and when the team needs to put their heads down and work.
“Dubois is super fun,” Mueller said. “He [has] a good balance between [joking] and serious. He really knows all of us players.”
The team can work hard when they need to, and the results have been positive.
“Honestly, you wouldn’t know it was a practice part of the time because of how much we all talk and laugh together, but come game time, we clean up our act and get serious,” McArthur said.
McArthur is going to miss the team when she graduates and moves on from Valkyries lacrosse.
“Being on this team has been so amazing, and realizing now that it’s coming to an end, I miss it,” McArthur said. “I hope my lax girls keep up the hard work for the next season.”
Since the team hosts a range of ages, currently spanning from sophomores to seniors, some players act as mentors and have made it easier for girls to get better at the sport.
“Dubois … had a senior show me some tricks, and soon enough I was starting to show others these tricks and passing them down,” McArthur said..”
The girls lacrosse season concluded as of May 4, with the team dominating their league.