BY WENDI REARDON PRICE
Clarkston News Sports Writer
The Wolves are heading into the MHSAA Girls Lacrosse Regional Semifinals on Wednesday after beating Midland for the second time this season, 16-13.
“We had played them the Friday before and beat them by two. I was hopeful we would do it again,” said Clarkston Girls Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach Rachel Vickers. “We worked as hard as we would have any other game. They are a very good team. They are really on par with us.”
She added the difference between the two games was the girls were more relaxed the second time against Midland.
“I don’t know if it had to do with them already beating them once so they felt they could do it again; if they felt more confident; or if they just knew we haven’t done this for a long time in the program so there wasn’t a lot of pressure,” Vickers said. “It’s not like we constantly win regionals, constantly win a league title. It was like if it didn’t work out, it didn’t work out. They were relaxed and they came in with the mindset they were going to have fun. It worked to our advantage.”
Senior Claire Austin, junior Elizabeth Oda, sophomores Maya Roy and Kaitlyn Bridger were the four leading scorers for the night.
The Wolves head into the regional semifinal game with an 10-3 record in what Vicker’s called on Twitter as the comeback year for the team.
“This program has had a lot of different coaches the last couple of years,” Vickers said. “There hasn’t been a lot of consistency. I think with me being a coach last year with the program and again this year, they are seeing I am pretty dedicated to them. I want them to have fun, but I want them to be more trained than they have been in the past. I think that really helped. I am hoping this is a continuation of years to come of what our program looks like.”
Along with a winning record, it’s the second time in the last six seasons the girls move on to the regional semifinals, proving it is a good comeback year.
The Wolves play Grand Blanc on Wednesday at Lake Orion, 5:30 p.m.
Grand Blanc moved on after beating Holly, 8-4, which the Wolves were following while at prom.
“They were both good teams,” Vickers said. “It was a close game. We are going in assuming it might be our last game, but trying to have fun. With the four day weekend it will be a lot of training on Tuesday to get them ready for it. I am hoping they win. If we don’t, it’s a lot they can learn from for next year.”
The winner moves on to play Lake Orion/Hartland in the regional final on Friday at 7 p.m.
The regional winner moves on to the semifinals set for June 6 in Hudsonville.

  Girls Varsity Lacrosse, MHSAA Regionals