After a tough match against Flower Mound last Saturday, the Coppell girls lacrosse team enters its district season 1-3. The Cowgirls play Keller tomorrow at Coppell Middle School North at 7 p.m. 

The Cowgirls, who moved from District I to District II, face the Indians as their first district match-up. This season, the team has focused on orienting the immense amount of new players to the sport. 

“The main area of improvement is getting everyone to learn the game,” Grapevine Faith Christian School sophomore and Coppell midfielder Claire Bryant said. “There are at least 10 new girls who joined in the last three weeks.”

After implementing man-to-man defense, a strategy in which each defensive player is responsible for preventing a specific offensive player from scoring, earlier this season, the Cowgirls found it unsuccessful, as it was difficult for new players to learn. Instead, Coppell has reverted to the zone defense method, where each defensive player is designated an area to defend, a method which was originally introduced last fall. 

“Our old defense [strategy] was just not doing what it needed to,” Bryant said. “It was particularly difficult for not as advanced players to keep up.” 

Though finishing the non-district season with a losing record, the Cowgirls take pride in their motivation to succeed. 

“We have a really good work ethic,” Bryant said. “We do want to and strive to win. There is just a lot of potential on the team.”

To prepare, the Cowgirls focused on team building, something that hindered their success last season. 

“The main thing our team is focusing on is team chemistry,” said Bryant. “Last year, we had a really rough season, because of that.”

This match is critical for the Cowgirls, as it sets the tone for the rest of the district season and serves as a testament to their focus on unity this season. 

“Even if it’s not winning, I want to walk away from the game feeling successful and feeling like we improved from the last time we stepped on that field,” Bryant said. “I want us to be a team that, when we step on the field, [our opponents] can tell we are a family.”

Follow Anvitha Reddy (@anvithareddytx) and @SidekickSports on Twitter.