With goals a-plenty, Titans post winning record in lacrosse
Jul 03, 2019 04:10PM ● By Josh Mc Fadden
Tatum Meier races down the field with Skyline players in pursuit. (Photo by Steve Crandall)
By Josh McFadden | [email protected]
The Olympus girls lacrosse team headed into the summer with the memory of a postseason loss but also with some memories of stellar play.
The Titans went 7-6 this past season. Though the team ended things on a sour note with a playoff defeat at the hands of Brighton, 13-9, it didn’t dampen a solid year in which the Titans averaged more than 13 goals per game. Offense was definitely a strong suit for Olympus. Led by senior Alissa Johnson, who scored 43 goals, the Titans made life miserable for opposing defenses all year. They reached double figures in goals in nine of 12 regular season outings, including in the six final games. They scored a season-high 20 goals on April 11, ironically against the same Brighton team that would crush their playoff dreams a month later.
Olympus had a pair of 16-5 victories: over Roy on March 14 and over Juan Diego on March 29. The Titans also registered 15 goals in a nine-point win over Alta on April 22.
Johnson had plenty of help on the offensive end. Fellow senior Tatum Meier wasn’t far behind in the goal department. She tallied 31 on the season and tied Johnson in assists with 15. Another senior, Roxanne Crandall, registered 26 goals, while senior Kira Chatterton had 13 goals and 10 assists. Meredith Clark and Hannah Clegg scored 12 goals and 10 goals, respectively.
The Olympus defense was no slouch either. Meier forced a team-high 14 turnovers, and Johnson caused 12 of her own. Goalkeeper Elizabeth Wirthlin had 48 saves on the season. Olympus allowed fewer than 10 goals per game and held opponents to single digits five times. The fewest goals the team allowed in a game was four in a 10-point win over Davis on April 16.
The Titans entered the playoffs having won four of their final four contests. The tournament loss to Brighton was a tough one to swallow considering how they dominated the Bengals during the regular season meeting.
Next year, head coach John Tilley and Olympus will make the transition as a full-fledged sanctioned sports program. The Titans will compete in Region 5 of Class 5A and will have to find some new leaders, as several key players graduated.
