Lily Bragdon really loves how every single piece on the field of a fast-paced lacrosse game must coalesce so succinctly and efficiently to nab growth. She really put that love for the sport on display as a leader for a defensive group that grew up and jelled together as 2024 wore on.

The Valley Regional girls’ lacrosse defender admits she grew up in a competitive household and played sports such as soccer and competitive dance growing up. This past spring, Lily assumed a leadership role on and off the turf as a junior. She was both a captain and a leader on defense who helped fortify the Warriors on the defensive side of things.

“I loved how lacrosse was different from other sports. I love the physical and mental aspects of it, and I also loved the unit through the team,” says Lily. “My coaches have helped me with my success, both personally and for the team. We worked a lot this year on strength and conditioning for games. I also think staying active with lacrosse in the offseason has helped and played a big role for me.”

The defensive fold of the field brings about a more group project feel in Lily’s vision. She notes that there can be some breakdowns at times, though with some hard work and dedication, the unit can make the grade and pass tests with flying colors.

“With defense, I love how it is really a group effort and how you have to trust the other players,” Lily says. “You also form bonds through that trust. It can be tough when it comes to developing communication between defenders. We struggled with it to start the year, but we grew to have a successful zone defense by the end, and that was really rewarding to see us get there and be part of that.”

Composure has been a cornerstone of Lily’s substantial head space as an athlete. While her mentors along the sideline have played pivotal roles in that, much of the maturity has just come natural through growth as the years have worn on.

“My mental game has been big throughout the years, as I have matured and collected myself more,” says Lily. “I have just tried to collect myself on the field and calm myself down when facing some adversity. Our coaches have also helped with that by helping us have the right mentality towards sports.”

When it comes to getting her point across to her fellow defenders and teammates, Lily has gotten quite a good grip on that element of her game. Still, she knows one can never be complacent. There is still work to be done within herself as all elements that make up a leader.

“I feel one skill I have mastered pretty well is communication, which is a big part of the game,” Lily says. “Myself and the team had been working hard during practices, and it showed during games. I feel I can improve on making sure everyone feels united and connected as a leader.”

Taking on the stewardship role last spring was such a fulfilling responsibility for Lily. As expected, there were some trying times during the campaign. Yet she worked with and leaned on her captain colleagues for assistance and extra guidance.

“Being a captain last year as a junior was not only fun, but it was also rewarding,” says Lily. “Being a leader helps you become a stronger person and really helps you with skills for your future endeavors in life. There were some tough times, but I worked with my co-captains, and it really helped a lot through those times.”

Valley girls’ lax Head Coach Alex Rose explains that Lily did not show any fear of fright stepping into a leadership role as a junior. Additionally, she not only showed her defensive prowess, but she also flashed some force behind her stick to exhibit some offensive talent.

“Lily was an exceptional teammate and captain for the team this past season. Her solid defensive skills and impressive stick work made her a formidable presence on the field. As one of the crease defenders in our new zone defense, she excelled with consistently disrupting the opposing team's attacks and protecting our goal with tenacity and precision,” says Rose. “She really helped lead our defense this year as a junior, and we will look for her to continue that this coming season. Her communication on the field with her teammates is key to our zone being successful. As she steps into her senior year, we look forward to her continuing to lead with the same dedication and skill, taking on an even more prominent role as a captain and key player on our team. We will look for Lily to transition the ball up the field more and more this coming year. We also discovered Lily has a great shot at the end of last season, so she may find herself on our extra man offense and possibly even some midfield at times.”

Lily reflects that the Warriors may not have fielded the most on-field victories in the Shoreline Conference, but they attained triumphs on a bigger scale beneath the box scores. With that in mind, the girls are ready to take things one step further for next year and squeak out decisions in the close clashes.

“At the beginning of last year, we struggled with a sense of unity, but we grew closer by the end of the year and developed bonds,” says Lily. “For next year, we have a lot of goals, and we hope to have a more competitive season. We will be doing more conditioning work with our coaches. We want to hopefully win those close games we lost this past year.”