Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Despite snow-covered fields and little sunshine, the Steamboat Springs High School girls lacrosse season is under way.

The Sailors started their season with two losses on the Front Range. Steamboat was defeated, 9-1, on March 10 by the St. Mary's Academy Wild--cats. Junior Maria Heilner scored the Sailors' lone goal.

Steamboat then played March 17 against the Boulder High School Panthers. Heilner again found the back of the net, providing the Sailors with two of their three goals. But it wasn't enough to stop the Panthers, who bested Steamboat by a score of 11-3. The Sailors' third goal came from senior Caitlin Fatka.

The Sailors are led by new coach Jenn Brenneman, who has prior experience as a coach at schools and lacrosse camps. As a high school student, she played for the prestigious Kent Denver lacrosse program

"Since we've started, we have made huge improvements," Brenneman said about this year's Steamboat squad. "The girls are all really dedicated."

Team captains for the season are seniors Michelle Burns and Caitlin Fatka and junior Maria Heilner.

Although the team has suffered a tough start to its season, the players and coaching staff are optimistic about the future.

Like other spring sports, the team's practices have been confined to the high school's two gymnasiums.

"It makes everything harder because the gym is a lot smaller," Fatka said. "We're not used to running the whole field."

This week, Steam----boat will focus on using more of the field as well as communicating better as a team. The Sailors' schedule won't be easy this weekend.

The Sailors face the Lib--erty High School Lancers at 4 p.m. Friday. Steamboat plays Pueblo West at 10 a.m. Saturday, also at Liberty High School.