This past week, on Monday the 22nd of September 2014, the West Bloomfield High School (WBHS) JV Field Hockey team was ready for action as they took on a very talented Liggett High School (LHS). The game was played under the bright lights of their home turf in one of the seasons final matches. Unfortunately the outcome was not in the favor of the WBHS team. They fell to their opponents with a disappointing score of 7 to 1. The only goal scored by the Lakers was definitely one to remember. Areesha Shahab, #37, sophomore, slithered through defenders in the final seconds of the game to break free and score. Even though the goal did not change the outcome of the game it did give the team and the fans momentum and something to celebrate. This season the JV field hockey team has been having some difficulty winning games, but that has been no excuse for them to lessen their efforts. This team is still in their early stages of development. Everyone awaits the future of this team, as they unleash their talents. The team enters every game with a positive mindset and ready for action. They are persevering through tougher times and try to get their battle spirit out and using all that hard work in their scintillating matches.

One member of this talented JV team, is freshman attacker, Ellie Soverinsky. She takes time before each game to prepare herself mentally and physically. When questioned about how she prepares, she said, “Mentally I go over footwork and positioning and physically we run stretch, pass, and shoot on goal.” She is one of many that spend countless hours preparing for each match. After the game, the players felt that, despite the score, the team had performed well. Areesha Shahab, #37, a sophomore on the JV team said, “I think I played pretty good, I had a shot on goal, and I had a few good passes.” Dani Fink, #51, freshman, talked about how the team has improved over the course of the season so far. “I think that our defense played pretty well, yet we could’ve stopped a few more goals. All in all, the team has really improved from our first game so I think we are heading in the right direction.” Nicole Tranca, #32, also a freshman on the team said, “I think this game we played really well. The score didn’t really reflect on how well we played because this team is the number 3 team in the state. I think we had some good blocks and some good sideline plays and we are improving.”

The Spectrum team got the chance to interview Ellen Strzalkowski, the coach of this talented team and WBHS teacher. When asked about her feelings on this season and her players performance she explained, “Our season is going very well, and I could not be prouder of the progress that the team has made this season. My players continually work on improving their skills, and it has shown in the three tie games and the one victory we have earned this season. Our victory against Farmington United was earned in dominant style, as we won 4-0. The players have worked hard all season, and their work has paid off as they have remained competitive in almost all of our games, some of which have been against very well-established teams that have been playing together for years. They are exceptional at making transitions and playing together as a team. I have truly enjoyed coaching this team, and look forward to working with them in future seasons.” This team has had a lot of fun, pushed themselves harder and harder and soon the results will follow. Hard work pays off. Upcoming JV Field Hockey Games: September 30th 6:00 pm vs Dexter @ West Bloomfield High School October 2nd 4:30 pm vs Country Day @ Country Day High School October 7th 5:30 pm vs Grosse Pointe North @ Grosse Pointe North High School October 8th 5:45 pm vs Edsel Ford @ west Bloomfield High School

GO LAKERSSS! Coach: Ellen Strzalkowski First Middle Last Jersey Height Position 1 Position 2 Year Abby Brickman 46     2018 Vanessa Backalukas 26 Midfield 2017 Brianna Cohen 31 Attack 2017 Jocelyn Deutch 13 Midfield 2017 Citlyn Dzuiba 56 Defense 2017 Ellie Elkin 24 Midfield 2017 Jessica Fair 9 Attack 2017 Dani Fink 51 Defense 2018 Supriya Gupta 96/97, 45 Goal 2016 Madeleine Klemz 20 Defense 2017 Katie Labe 46 Defense 2017 Jessica Lynch 44 Attack 2017 Ziri Morales 22 Midfield 2017 Karen Randhawa 27 Midfield 2017 Grace Root 21 Defense 2017 Jordyn Rosario 47 Defense 2017 Maddie Ruiter 50 Midfield 2017 Areesha Shahab 37 Midfield 2017 Natalie Sheibels 35 Attack 2017 Ellie Soverinsky 30 Attack 2018 Nicole Tranca 32 Midfield 2018 Elizabeth Vadella 28 Defense 2018 Emma Warnekce 5 Attack 2017 Alexa Wujczyk 16 Attack 2017