Girls Varsity Lacrosse: Lady Cowboys Win Districts Over Cypress Bay

BY OLIVIA LEWIS

The Cooper City Cowboys made their way to Western High School to play the game they had been practicing for the whole season. The girls varsity lacrosse team was facing Cypress Bay High School for the second year in the row, beating them last year with a score of 15-7. The Cowboys had a 8-0 district record, making them the first seed. The girls fought the hardest they ever have and won their second district title with a score of 14-7.

The announcer started naming all the starters from each team ten minutes before the game started. The National Anthem was played directly after, and then the girls ran to their huddle. The cheers could be heard from the bleachers, each team excited to play. Sophomore Olivia Lewis lined up to take the first draw of the game. The referee set the ball up in their sticks and blew the whistle. Lewis pushed the ball towards junior Amanda Rivas, giving her possession of the ball. Rivas ran the ball down to the attack and moved it around. The Lightning were defending extremely hard, double-teaming every chance they got. The Cowboys were patient with the ball and constantly made cuts. Senior Florence Andreiu had the ball in her stick and tested the defense, opening up an area for her teammates to cut into. Rivas sprinted in and received the pass from Andreiu, dumping the ball right over the goalie’s head. The fans went crazy, excited that the Cowboys were in the lead. Lewis took the draw again and won it, passing it to Andreiu. Andreiu took it down and passed it to Rivas who was stripped of the ball. A Cypress Bay player launched the ball to one of her attack players. Cooper City defense was caught flat-footed and the player was able to run past them and score, tieing up the game. Lewis won the draw again and passed it to Rivas. Rivas passed to around to the other players. Andreiu received the ball and held it until players made runs. Lewis was being face guarded, so freshman Grace Barr set a perfect pick, allowing Lewis to make the run. She received the pass from Andreiu and took a shot on goal, making the score 2-1. Lewis won the next draw and passed it to Rivas, who then took it to the attack. Rivas took a shot on goal and the goalie saved it. The goalie left her crease circle and Andreiu began to defend her well. The goalie was able to make a pass, but Lewis intercepted it and started to run it towards the goal. Lewis was fouled in the process and had a chance to take a shot on an open net. The referee blew the whistle and Lewis shot the ball, making the score 3-1. The Lightning were able to score one more goal before the first water break.

The Cowboys came out with a lot of energy, determined to score more goals on Cypress Bay. Lewis won the draw and took it down to the attack. The ball was passed around but Cypress Bay managed to cause a turnover, moving it down quickly. The Cooper City defense gained possession back, but a foul was called on a Cypress Bay player, stopping the game. Senior Gaby Sanchez had the ball in her stick and when the referee blew the whistle she passed it to Lewis. Lewis sprinted the ball down and was able to take a shot on goal, making the score 4-1. Lewis won the draw and passed it to Andreiu who then moved it down to the attack. The attack and midfielders moved the ball around, patiently waiting for girls to make cuts. Andreiu passed it to Rivas who sprinted it around the crease and scored. Lewis won the draw again and pushed it towards Rivas. Rivas started running the ball down when she saw Andreiu open. Andreiu received the pass from Rivas and took the ball all  the way down to the net and scored. “I think that the district game was a true test for Cooper City,” Andreiu said. “Everything was put on the line and I think we really worked together to make history happen yet again.” Lewis won the next draw and took it down to the attack. The attack were passing it around, but began to force it and Cypress Bay was able to cause a turnover. Cypress Bay ran the ball all the way down and moved it around their attack. Cooper City was playing man-to-man defense, making it extremely difficult for Cypress to move the ball around. One of the Cooper City players lost their defender, so the Lightning was able to score another goal. Lewis won the draw and pushed it towards Rivas again, but the Cypress Bay player was able to get to it first. They ran it down quickly, but were slowed down by the Cooper City midfielders. Cypress Bay passed the ball around and waited for people to make cuts. One player ran the ball in, and Cooper City was called for shooting space, giving the opposing team and free shot on goal. The girl took a bounce shot and made the score 6-4. Time was running out for the first half, but the Cooper City Cowboys didn’t let up. Lewis won the draw and passed it to Andreiu. Andreiu took it down to the attack and passed it to her teammates. Rivas received the pass and took it towards the goal, but a foul was called on a Cypress Bay player. Rivas had a free shot on goal and took it, making the score of the first half 7-4. “Overall it was a good hard fought game and it felt great to defend our district title,” junior Kasey Allen said.

The girls screamed their half time cheer as loud as possible, showing their excitement to finish the game and win. Lewis lined up at the draw and waited for the whistle to be blown. The referee blew the whistle and Lewis won the draw, passing it to Andreiu. Andreiu took it down on her own and waited for the players to make cuts. Eventually, she was left one-on-one with a Cypress Bay player and took it, scoring the eighth goal for the Cowboys. The girls quickly lined back up and waited for the draw. Lewis pushed the ball towards Andreiu, but the Cypress Bay player got to it first and passed it down the field. Cypress Bay moved the ball around until they had areas to make runs. A player ran the ball in and Cooper City was called for shooting space, giving the girl a free shot on goal. She wound up and took the shot, making the score 8-5. The Cowboys retaliated quickly and were able to win the next draw. Andreiu gained possession of the ball and passed it down to the attack. Junior Crystal Williams received a pass from her teammate and took it towards the goal. A Cypress Bay player was called for a foul, giving Williams a free shot on the goal. She “eight-balled” it and scored a goal for the Cowboys. Cypress Bay were able to gain possession on the next draw and took it down, scoring another goal. The Cowboys didn’t let that stop them, winning the next draw and taking it down. They passed it around and waited for girls to make runs. Williams was able to get away from her defender and Andreiu passed it her. Williams wound up and took a hard shot to the top of the goal, making the score 10-6. The water break was called shortly after that.

The game was coming close to an end, but that only drove the Cowboys to score more goals. Lewis won the draw and passed it to Rivas who then passed it to Andreiu. They moved it among themselves before going over the restraining line. Rivas got the ball back and took it all the way to goal, making the score 11-6. Cypress Bay gained possession on the next draw and took it down. They received a free shot because of a foul, and were able to score their final goal of the game. Cooper City was dominating the game and tiring the Cypress Bay players out. Lewis took the draw and pushed it towards Andreiu. She took it down to the goal and took a shot, but the goalie saved it. Cypress Bay called a play and the goalie left the ball in the net, giving it to the other player on the team. However, the goalie came out and set a moving pick on Lewis, causing a foul and giving Lewis an open shot on the net. The referee blew the whistle and Lewis shot it into the net, making the score 12-7. Lewis took the next draw and pushed it towards Rivas. Rivas gained possession of the ball and ran it down, looking for her teammate to pass to. She began to settle the ball and passed it around the attack. Williams had the ball in her stick when she saw Andreiu sprint in. Andreiu received the pass from Williams and took a shot on goal, making the score 13-7. Lewis won the next draw and took it down to the attack. The ball was passed around, but Cypress Bay was able to gain possession. They passed it down, but Barr stripped the player of the ball. There were 13 second left in the game when Barr had the ball, and she saw Lewis directly in front of her, ready for the pass. The referee blew the whistle and Barr passed it to Lewis who then passed it directly to Williams. Williams placed her shot right above the goalies head, making the score 14-7 with 3 second left in the game. The crowd was astonished by how quickly the girls were able to score that. Lewis took the final draw of the game, and as the ball was in the air the final whistle blew. The Cooper City Cowboys sprinted towards their goalie, hugging her and screaming at the top of their lungs. They had just won their second consecutive district title.

The girls lined up to shake hands with Cypress Bay and then ran back to their bench to hold the District trophy. The excitement in the girls faces could be seen from the sidelines, where all the families and friends had been waiting. The girls took their pictures and walked towards the gate, holding the trophy above their heads. This was the game they had worked for all season, and in the end, they achieved their goal. “Cooper women’s lacrosse has had an amazing season and winning last night was the cherry on top,” senior Cecilia Sosa said. “The team pulled together and do what they do best. We had a 14-7 lead with three seconds left and pushed until the very end. Next stop, states!” The Cowboys will face off against the St. Thomas Aquinas on April 13th.

Final Score: Cooper City 14, Cypress Bay 7