Freedom’s lacrosse programs continue to lead the charge in the city, but also hope to push the top teams in the area with their hot play this season.

The Freedom girls are enjoying a historic season, as they moved to 9-1 following Monday’s 17-4 win over Northwestern.

With the playoffs in sight, head coach Charis Innarella is enjoying the ride with this group.

“What makes this season so enjoyable is our team,” said Innarella. “Our players rally everyday for each other. They work hard and have fun together. This is one of my most cohesive teams, as they trust each other and want to bring out the best of each other.”

Freedom got one of its biggest tests of the season Tuesday against Easton (9-0), a contests that was past Press deadlines.

The Rovers have long been one of the premier programs in the area and one that Freedom has struggled to beat.

After falling to an undefeated Emmaus team 11-7 last Thursday, the Pates proved that this season’s mark is no fluke and that they’re capable of competing with the best teams in the district.

“Our loss to Emmaus was a motivator,” Innarella said. “We had a competitive game and came up short. The next day at practice everyone stepped up and took responsibility, which says a lot about the character of our kids. We used it as a way to improve.”

The Pates close out the week against Parkland on Thursday and Liberty on Friday before wrapping up the regular season next week.

Working through the success of this season has been an enjoyable experience for Innarella and the program and the hope is that there’s more to come down the road.

“I’m proud of how this group is handling success,” she said. “Everything has been earned and these kids are extremely motivated. They understand there will always be obstacles in the way and the key is to stay grounded and keep getting back up and move on. They have an attitude of gratitude and that’s what makes them special.”

Freedom’s boys program came into the week at 8-3, dropping a contest to Saucon Valley last week 10-8. The Pates sit behind Emmaus (11-1) and Parkland (6-2) in the district power ratings and have chance to make up some ground this week with matches against Easton (7-2) on Tuesday and Parkland on Thursday.