Plainfield girls lacrosse falls to Sandburg 20-6, but Cheetahs staying positive

PLAINFIELD – 2024 was a rough year for the Plainfield co-op girls lacrosse team. Fifteen contests, 15 defeats with its closest result being a nine-goal loss.

This spring hasn’t been much kinder so far, as Wednesday’s 20-6 loss to Sandburg dropped the Cheetahs to 0-3 on the season. Still, ask anyone on the roster or the coaching staff, and one will hear only positive things about the team.

“Our biggest message is positivity,” coach Ashley Hornig said. “We’re always encouraging each other, no matter what. You drop the ball, you pick it right back up, and you’re always cheering each other on.

“It’s hard, because we do have a lot of brand new players. It’s hard when you’re going up against varsity teams who have been playing together for a long time. We’re aware of that, and we understand that.

“We’re just here to learn and grow and love lacrosse.”

The result was never truly in question Wednesday. Sandburg led 5-0 in the first five minutes of play. Although Kendall Lewis managed to score a pair of goals before the opening quarter was over, Sandburg scored two goals in the final minute to lead 7-2 after one.

The game moved to a running clock in the second as Sandburg held a 14-2 edge at the midway point. Lewis scored four goals in the second half, but Sandburg scored six to take the result.

Plainfield has just two seniors on the roster, highlighting that inexperience Hornig mentioned. Hornig, however, views the inexperience as an opportunity to learn and grow for the program in her third year at the helm.

“We have a lot of brand new players,” she said. “They’re learning different aspects of the game while working on their own stick skills. They’re cradling, catching, passing and working together as a team.”

While the result in the win-loss column hasn’t come, there have been some successes on the field. Lewis scored all six goals for the Cheetahs on Wednesday, and she’s taken on a leadership role as a senior.

“She’s been a captain for two years,” Hornig said. “I’m so proud to have seen her leadership skills grow over the past two years. She’s always the one to step up with the girls to teach them skills, run drills, start warmups. She’s the ultimate player and the best player a coach could want. She’s someone who is there to back you up and really there for her team.”

For her part, Lewis credited the coaching and her teammates for helping her success. She has a tactical view of the game as a midfielder. She’s happy to be helping this program in her final year of high school, and still staying positive despite the team’s record.

“We’re just trying keep good energy,” Lewis said. “Even if we’re losing, we’re hyping each other up and being positive. We’re not letting up, and we keep going even if it’s a tough game.”

There’s also been a focus on connections across the community. Plainfield is a mixture of all four schools in the city with North, South, East and Central coming together for the love of the game.

“We’re all four Plainfield High Schools here, so it’s kind of fun to watch them form friendships as teammates,” Hornig said. “I think it’s a pretty cool and unique thing we get to do.”

Lewis echoed her coach’s sentiment.

“It’s really nice,” she said. “We get to make new friends and have people from all schools. Being able to become friends with them, come close as a team and have fun together has been nice.”

Make no mistake, though, the team is still playing to win. Lewis said nothing would make her happier than ending the losing streak in her final year.

“I’m hoping to get a victory under our belt,” she said. “I want us to come together and get some other players some good looks too.”