Guess What Team Is Sticking Around?

When people think of Waterford spring sports, the mind goes right to the diamond. The nine-time state champion baseball team and the softball team (which recently had a 55-game winning streak) are town staples. Either that, or people think of the strong girls and boys tennis teams, or the solid track squad.

Yet this year, the only team still playing is the school’s youngest sport, the girls lacrosse team. Despite being around for only five years (only four years fielding a varsity team), it will play in a quarterfinal game in the Class S tournament Monday night.

“It just feels great to be the last one left,” senior Allie Wiggins said. “Everybody doesn’t seem to take us seriously; they always say 'how many state championships have you won?' ”

“I think this will validate us,” senior Rheanna Ward said. “We would love to say one (state championship).”

Waterford, which lost to East Lyme in the ECC final, will face Northwest Catholic Monday at 4 p.m. at New London High School. The team seemed to lose some focus this week, with no games scheduled and graduation approaching, coach Audrey Montanaro said.

“I took them aside and said, hey, we don’t have to practice anymore, we can just show up to the game,” Montanaro said. “But they were like, ‘No, coach, we want this; we are hungry.' ”

The girls agreed. After being bounced early last year, this is a great opportunity to take that first title, they said.

“We are anxious, we just want to get out there,” Wiggins said. “We want this.”

The team has seven seniors, all of whom start. The strength of the team is its speed and its transition game, the girls said.

While winning Monday is doable, it would help to have some fan support, the girls said. They strongly encouraged anybody to show up and cheer, they said.

“Hopefully Lancer Nation is out there,” Ward said.

The cheering helps, Wiggins said.

“That’s like confidence --  it helps a lot,” she said. “It makes you want to go out there and score some more goals.”

Jen Thomas, who played for four years and now is the first girl from Waterford to play in college, is impressed with the team’s growth. The team wasn’t very good the first year, and now is becoming one of the state’s better programs, she said.

“It is just great to see the growth,” Thomas said. “Its really great to see how much they have improved in these four years.”

IF YOU GO:

Where: New London High School

When: June 6, 4 p.m.

What: Waterford High School lacrosse in a Class S  Tournament quarterfinal; the last team from town standing