Bethlehem Catholic is opening this spring with a new varsity sport on the docket, as girls lacrosse officially jump into the landscape of the conference.

Head coach Taylor Ondrejca knows that patience will have to be key factor for her staff in an opening campaign, but she’s also excited about the opportunity to lay the groundwork for the program.

“Our outlook for the year is to build a strong foundation for the program,” said Ondrejca. “We welcomed many girls who are new to the sport. As a young team, we are working hard rising to the level of competition we see in our league. The girls bring 100% drive and commitment to practice and games. We have seen great improvement early on and are excited for the remainder of the season.”

Leading this year’s team are captains Abby McIntyre (junior) and Julia Vorsa (senior), as both are experienced players and will be looked upon to guide the rest of the group.

Seniors Kelby McNally and Rileigh Cummings will also be part of the core group of players with lacrosse experience.

“These girls bring experience and drive and energy to the team,” said Ondrejca. “We will definitely miss these girls next year, but look forward to watching their college careers begin.

“Look out for Grace Hartman and Taylor Adams. Both are juniors and critical members of the team. You will find Grace leading the attack. Taylor is a strong midfielder, who excels at making ground balls her own and is a strong presence on both defense and attack.”

While immediate results in the win column isn’t the main focus for any new program, Ondrejca is looking more toward building blocks this season.

“Two big goals the team this year are to work through mistakes and not to let negativity and discouragement take hold,” she said. “Second, to build a program we are proud of and create a fun environment where everyone wants to come back next year.”