“Wow! They look good!”  “Fun to watch!”  “Great team chemistry!”  “This is high-level lacrosse!” are just some of the comments we heard this summer about this fantastic group of Team NorCal Girls HS Elite players.

Anchored by their veteran Team NorCal goalie, senior Caoilinn Heatley, the defense is solid and consistent; the midfield game is equally formidable, as of course is the powerful goal-scoring and beautiful teamwork of the offense.  

First tournament in what seemed like forever, in the middle of a heat wave in inland San Diego…  That’s how the summer began for our Girls HS Elite team.  Despite the extreme heat, the girls were overjoyed to be back out on the field together after a long hiatus due to Covid19; it had been over a year since this team had last played a tournament together.  (It did feel very strange though: for the first time since spring 2020, they were allowed to play without facemasks; once competition began however, they quickly fell back into pre-Covid lacrosse normalcy.)  America’s Finest Rivalry proved to be a great tournament to jump-start a busy summer.  The team dominated pool play, and continued strong to come out victorious in a tough Semi-Final game.  Unfortunately, the opponent got the better of them in the Finals.  Despite exhaustion, the team fought hard till the end.  They ended the tournament with an impressive 63 goals over 6 games (10.5 goal-per-game average).  Perhaps even more notable is that 76% of those total goals were assisted: 48 assists (8-per-game average).

Next up on the summer schedule was the Western Shootout in Colorado Springs.  The team again battled in the summer heat, now with the additional obstacle of the high elevation of almost 7,000 feet.  These athletes persevered.  Again, they played well and displayed fluid teamwork and excellent team chemistry.  After a dramatic first day after which the Tournament Directors had to watch game film late into the night to determine the correct outcome (which turned out in our favor), Day 2 continued to keep fans on the edge of their seats with three extremely tight games, including a thrilling semi-final game come-from-behind victory with 5 unanswered goals to take the win by 1; they earned their rightful spot in the Championship game.  However, they didn’t seem to have enough left for yet another emotionally and physically taxing game; the team would have to settle for 2nd place again.  Tournament team totals = 58 goals off 32 assists.  Average = 9.7 goals per game with 5.3 assists per game, a 55% assist rate.

The third tournament of summer was in beautiful Bend, Oregon.  With half the Elite team enjoying a well-deserved weekend off, the other half combined with our top Select players to enjoy the adventures of Bend with a fun combined tournament roster.  This Elite/Select combo team dominated the competition all the way to another Championship game.  Every tournament, they inched ever closer to a Championship Win, but this one was by far the most dramatic: it ultimately ended in a 10-11 loss in Double Overtime.  Tournament totals again are impressive at 65 goals (10.8 goals per game) off 42 assists (7 assists per game), equaling a 65% assist rate.

To end the busy summer, the GHS Elite was back to full-strength for the IWLCA West Coast Cup in Morgan Hill.  No championship format at this one, but again a respectable 2nd place finish.  An easy schedule in comparison to the 6-game rigor of the previous three tournaments, this showcase format offered a chance to play in our backyard but still get in front of a wide spectrum of college coaches.  Over four games, tournament totals again were solid with 44 goals (11 goals per game) off 29 assists (7.25 assists per game), a 66% assist rate. 

The core of this team has been playing together since they were 12U, and it shows in their teamwork and support for each other: mutual respect and positive sportsmanship.  This team relies on consistent Draw Controls, productive off-ball movement, accurate shooting, and a steadfast defense who forces teams to truly earn every single goal.  This, in part, is what has earned this GHS Elite team #7 in the Adrenaline Power Rankings.

What possibly best sums up this GHS Elite team is an observation by one of our veteran Team NorCal Boys HS Elite players: “This is high level lacrosse!  They work so well together and have such great team chemistry.  This group is super impressive and really fun to watch.”

Perhaps the most telling statistic that showcases the depth and breadth of talent on this team is the great variety of goal scorers.  In each of the tournaments there were 9 different goal scorers (except for Western Shootout in which there were 8); essentially, almost every Midfielder and Attacker is scoring in almost every game, undeniably contributing to the team’s great success.  The great variety of goal scorers and assisters really highlights the teamwork and unselfish nature of these athletes.  Top this off with a rock-solid Defense and Goalie unit, and you get impressive team lacrosse.