Oasis Academy junior Maiya Swan leads the team in draws, winning almost 90 percent in her team’s seven games.
Photo by Thomas Ranson.
Going into the final week of the regular season, the Oasis Academy girls lacrosse team won its seventh game to stay unbeaten.
The Bighorns face Bishop Manogue twice this week, including a rematch on Thursday at the county fields before the playoffs begin with the semifinal round on Monday at Bishop Manogue. The regional championship is next Wednesday.
Through seven games, Oasis Academy is averaging 16 goals with senior Sadie O’Flaherty leading the offense with a seven goal/game average for a total of 50 goals on the season. Junior Maiya Swan is second on the team in goals scored with 26 followed by senior Taryn Barrenchea with 19. Swan, who leads the team in assists with 19, also has the best shooting percentage at 0.634 followed by Barrenchea a 0.613 and O’Flaherty at 0.588. As a team, Oasis Academy is converting more than half its shots into goals.
A key to the Bighorns’ success is at the draw.
Oasis Academy controls 70 percent of the draws with Swan leading the team with an 89 percent draw percentage.
Defensively, sophomore and first-year goalie Stacy Bogdanowicz has improved throughout the season for a 0.435 save percentage. After allowing 13 goals in the road-opening win over Galena, the defense has stepped up in allowing six goals per game in the last five contests. O’Flaherty leads the team in ground balls with 35 and has created 12 turnovers. Swan leads the team with 15 caused turnovers.
The Bighorns faced Manogue on Monday in Reno and hosted McQueen on Tuesday. Oasis Academy hosts the Miners again on Thursday before traveling to Spanish Springs on Friday to conclude the regular season.
Boys lacrosse
After a pair of 10-goal losses, the Bighorns came back with wins over Damonte Ranch and Douglas last week.
Oasis Academy defeated Damonte Ranch, 8-6, last Tuesday and Douglas, 4-3, on Thursday to improve to 4-5 on the season for sixth place. The Bighorns hosted Galena on Monday and traveled to Reno on Tuesday to conclude the regular season. A sweep could lift the Bighorns into the playoffs.
Only the top four teams advance to next week’s regional tournament.
In the win over Damonte Ranch, Oasis Academy jumped on the Mustangs with six goals in the first period.
Senior Sam Robertson led the team with three goals and two assists, and senior Chris Ehlers recorded two goals and two assists. Seniors Matthew Catlin and Cole Hamlin each scored once. Ehlers led the team with 11 ground balls and Robertson added seven. Ehlers also won 16 of the 17 faceoffs. Goalkeeper Ryan Jones, a senior, recorded seven saves.
Caitlin led the team with two goals as Oasis Academy came back to defeat Douglas with two goals in the final period. Hamlin, Ehlers and junior Seth Dunkin each scored. Ehlers led in ground balls with five and won six of the eight faceoffs. Jones had five saves.
