Freshman Abby Russell setting the pace for red-hot Haslett-Williamston lacrosse
HASLETT – The Haslett-Williamston girls lacrosse team started out the season with back-to-back one-goal losses.
But the Vikings didn't get discouraged. In fact, Haslett shifted into another gear, rallying off 12 straight wins ahead of its opening game of the CAAC Cup with Holt on Monday.
And after defeating Holt 19-3 just three weeks prior, Haslett shook off a sluggish opening few minutes to finish with a resounding 18-4 victory.
"We started to clean the game up and started to play the way we wanted to in terms of quality play and competitiveness," Haslett coach Chad Pastor said. "I thought our goalie play was really good and our defense was amazing as usual. It just took a few minutes for our offense to click the way they usually do.
"We have teammates holding each other accountable for what we are supposed to be doing at every level of play, so whether we are in transition or offense or defense, we are making sure we are doing it the right way," Pastor added about the team during this winning streak. "That's been the most important thing for them and focusing on our details. I'm ecstatic that they are at 13 wins and it's exciting to see them playing really good lacrosse."
Freshman Abby Russell led Haslett with seven goals and three assists, while senior Breyer Fenech added five goals and three assists and attacker Brianna Nedwick scored four goals for the Vikings.
Russell has been a major catalyst for Haslett's offense during its record-breaking run, as the program has never had 13 wins in a season until now.
"It's awesome playing with these girls and I love being a part of this team," Russell said. "It's been a great freshman year and to have this winning streak is just awesome. I love the competitiveness and this is where I thrive. The hard work this team puts in and the bond we have has been great."
In those 13 wins, Haslett defeated 10 of its 13 opponents by 10 or more goals, most notably a 14-3 win four days ago against Portage Northern, who handed Haslett one of its two losses in the first game of the season.
The closest an opponent has come to touching the Vikings after the first week of the season was a 10-4 contest against Muskegon Mona Shores in mid-April.
Haslett (13-2) will play in the next round of the CAAC Cup later this week.
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on Twitter @Nathaniel_Bott
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Freshman Abby Russell red-hot for record-breaking Haslett lacrosse
