Steward School and a record-breaking girls lacrosse season
RICHMOND, Va. — Winning athletic teams certainly aren鈥檛 new for the Steward School. The West End independent school has multiple state championship appearances and victories across its athletic programs. The girls鈥� lacrosse team is no exception. Heading into the 2021 season, the Spartans did not have a championship to its name but had posted multiple double-digit win seasons in its history.
What was new for the 2021 version of the team, however; is the way in which the wins were coming. After a four-game stretch in April that included three losses, the Spartans ran through the rest of the regular season undefeated before claiming two more victories in the Tidewater Conference of Independent School playoffs 鈥� a total of 10 in a row. The streak was snapped by a 12-10 loss at the hands of Virginia Beach鈥檚 Catholic High School on May 14. However, the team totaled a school-record 14 victories before entering the state playoffs.
In addition to the number of victories, the Spartans鈥� personnel was different from that of years past 鈥� starting at the top. Head coach Ali Zadeh, a recent graduate of VCU and four-year letter winner for the Rams on the lacrosse field, found herself at the helm of a high-school level team for a full season (after COVID-19 cut last year short) for the first time. The Spartans also found themselves relying on a number of young and even first-year players to fill important gaps. According to senior midfielder and defender Nicole Odibo, the mixture of old and new worked out just right.
鈥淒ue to the chemistry and love on our team, I believe we have a chance to go far,鈥� Odibo said. 鈥淭here is not one player on our team that we could go without because every person adds their own special flare.”
In the center of this special group is a core group of leaders that includes Odibo. The senior is known for her speed and disruptive nature as a defender. Joining her on the leadership front is All-Metro performer Saara Qureshi, a do-everything midfielder who will end her high-school career with over 250 goals, 150 assists and 400 draw controls; Claire Saverino, a senior attack who broke personal bests with at least 45 goals and 20 assists this season; and Harper Jones a junior midfielder who surpassed the 40-goal mark this season. The group has played together for a long time while participating in multiple sports together. The seniors especially took it upon themselves to use that bond to help break in the team before the season began.
鈥淎ll of us seniors have always been so close with each other on and off the field and it was up to us to spread that all across our team, which I think we did a good job of,鈥� Saverino said. 鈥淎fter games, a lot of us go out to dinner together and have so much fun at practice all together while focusing and getting things done. The key to our bond has come from leadership and balance.
Added Jones, 鈥淭his positive relationship allows for better playing and communication, which is clearly shown in our play on the field.鈥�
While the bond is evident now, the coaching staff wasn鈥檛 sure what to expect when practice began. After the 2020 season was washed away, players were able to eventually return to the field to practice and play on summer league teams. The time off, combined with several young or otherwise inexperienced additions left a lot of question marks. However, when the team pulled out three tight victories to start the season, Zadeh was more confident in what she had.
鈥淭his team is more than I or the other coaches ever thought. We are so grateful for this team because they are all so willing to learn,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey are a smart group of girls that have the same competitive drive as the coaches.鈥�
Perhaps helping ease the transition for some of the inexperienced players was a bond already shared. Senior Mimi Traynham and sophomore Gates Fox had never played lacrosse before this season. Both were members of the Steward鈥檚 state-champion basketball team with Qureshi, Odibo and senior Grace Inge. While the pair were new to the sport, Zadeh saw their athleticism as elite and coveted their services for her team. Despite their experience, Traynham and Fox quickly became elite members of the team.
鈥淭he two of them are originally basketball players that we begged to play. They are our best defenders,鈥� Zadeh said.
The Spartans started the season fast with those three wins, but then slowed down by dropping three of the next four. However, the team鈥檚 ability to bond together and recover enabled the group to put together the 10-game winning streak that made them one of the most formidable opponents in the state.
鈥淭his year our team has really clicked. Most of us have been playing sports together since middle school and we feed of each other鈥檚 strengths,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淲e have added multiple athletes from other sports who have solidified a number of positions on the team. We also have strong senior leaders who are committed to keeping our team focused and energized.鈥�
Added Odibo, “The bond between us girls is so genuine. We care about one another and talk to each other off the field and make plans with each other outside of school and I really think this chemistry translates onto the field as well.”
Regardless of how the season ended, the Steward seniors could certainly look back at their final year as Spartans with pride. They鈥檒l also have a lot to look forward to next year. Qureshi and Saverino will be extending their careers at Mercer University and Sewanee, respectively. Odibo will attend Virginia Tech as a member of the school鈥檚 Honors College. While only a junior, Jones has already accepted a scholarship offer and will join Qureshi at Mercer after next season.
鈥淭hese seniors all have such a bright future ahead of them. They will all go onto do great things, some in the classroom and others on the field too,鈥� Zadeh said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait to watch them grow as people and players. We truly love them so much as a team and especially as coaches. They have made such an impact and they will always hold a spot on our team.鈥�
But, following the state tournament the Spartans can now claim themselves as a member of the school鈥檚 club of state champions. Despite a loss in the TCIS championship game, the team rebounded to win a pair of close contests in the VISAA Division 2 tournament. The Spartans defeated Nansemond Suffolk 8-7 in the semifinals, before claiming a 7-4 win over Cape Henry Collegiate in the final. Qureshi scored eight goals between the two games and went on to be named state player of the year. Coach Zadeh was named coach of the year while Saverino, Odibo, Jones and keeper Lilly Jordan joined Qureshi as first-team all-state. Grace Fass was named second-team all-state.
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