Chesapeake Girls Celebrate Senior Night, Rout Meade 19-2

By Colin Murphy

On the beautiful Friday afternoon of May 6, the Chesapeake High School girls lacrosse team got the senior night festivities started in grand fashion with a 19-2 drubbing of visiting Meade, ending the regular season on a high note before entering what is sure to be a very competitive playoff season.

First-year Head Coach Shannon Kelly saw her team take another step in the direction of the program’s ultimate goal: playing consistent, champion-caliber, Chesapeake-brand lacrosse.

“Our motto all year has been, ‘I am a champion,’” said Kelly after the game, “and I feel like these girls live that inside and outside of lacrosse.”

Regardless of how the playoffs eventually play out, the Chesapeake girls played like champions on this evening, as a full crowd of family and friends turned out to see a senior-led scoring charge in the first half. Playing without senior co-captain Loretta Flaig, the Cougars used goals by seniors Valerie Everett (twice), Erin Tenneson (twice), Bree Phillips, sophomore Kayla Miller and freshman Olivia Smith to take a 7-1 lead at halftime.

“We started off kinda slow,” said Everett after the contest, adding that the senior night atmosphere charged the team with a mix of emotions throughout the game. “It’s kind of bittersweet. I love my team and I love playing here, and I’m going to miss my coaches, I love our new coaches, they’re awesome, and I’m going to miss my best friends. But I’m ready to move on as well.” Everett finished the game with three goals and two assists, and noted the effect of Coach Kelly’s halftime speech. “Coach talked to us, we picked it up at halftime, came back and brought it full force,” said Everett.

Indeed, the second half saw a re-energized Cougar squad deliver a dizzying flurry of goals. Junior Abby Mack scored her first of three second half goals to push the Chesapeake lead to 8-1 before goals by Everett, Tenneson (twice), Phillips, Smith, Mack (twice), senior Brooke Klovensky, and junior Holly Lucke extended the Cougar lead to 17-2 late in the second half. Tenneson, who next year will attend Duke University and play for the school’s lacrosse team, finished the game with four goals and one assist.

“I love how close we all got this year,” said Tenneson after the game. “We bonded well as a team, and we had so much fun all the time with our new coaches, and we played well too.”

Goals by senior Shelby Steedman and junior Jessica Phelps closed out the scoring for Chesapeake, and the Cougars wrapped up the emotional win by a final score of 19-2.

Asked what her seniors mean to the team and program, Kelly showed great admiration for her team’s leaders: “I have a great group of seniors that always do what I ask. The seniors on this team lead with heart and hustle. They play smart and I am happy to have them on my team.” Anticipating the Cougars’ first-round playoff match-up, Coach Kelly was likewise confident in her group. “Our goal is to see how far we can get in the playoffs. We have great team chemistry, we work hard, we have fun, and we believe in each other. I’m extremely confident. I believe that each player on our team is a champion.”

To see the complete photo gallery of Chesapeake Girls' Lax, click here.