After winning the first round of the county tournament, the girls lacrosse team was ecstatic. The team had ended Paramus’s undefeated season and won 13-7, but the team couldn’t rest on their laurels. The Indians were in the Ridgewood bracket; ranked first in the state and sixth in the nation, it was bound to be a tough game, but it was a learning opportunity.

After the loss, the team didn’t hold its heads down; it fueled the fire for the team to play better, faster and stronger.

“A loss is never fun, but it is always something to grow from,” said senior captain Lydia Christiano, who scored her 100^th goal last week.

And growth is a fundamental part of what the team has done this year. The team is vastly different than they were in March, when they began playing.

Natalie Bade, one of the most influential players of the team, echoed that the growth of the team has played a part in how well the girls are playing. Bade leads the team with 45 goals this year and 76 in her career. As a junior captain, she captures the fundamental parts of lacrosse, with this season being no different.

“We’ve grown so much as a team this year, and I know that one loss will not tear us down,” said Bade, “We owe it to ourselves to use this game as inspiration and be proud of how far we’ve come.”

With another tough loss to Ramapo on Thursday, the team looks to go to New Providence on Saturday and win, in order to move to a higher seed in the State Tournament.