The Lady Knights (4-5) suffered a 15-3 loss to Plant (11-2) on Thursday, March 29. But somehow, the Lady Knights kept their energy up the entire game, making the scoreboard almost irrelevant to them.

“I thought my girls played with a lot of heart,” head coach Ashriel West said. “We came out ready to play. It’s a good rivalry.”

The name of the game was “speed”, as the Lady Knights couldn’t manage to get back in transition. The Panthers swept past the defenders causing the Lady Knights to go scoreless the entire first half, trailing 10-0 at the buzzer.

“Transition [is something] we always struggle with,” co-captain Carolina Cassedy (’18) said. “But once we get set up [in an offense], it always works a lot better.”

And Anna Grecsek (’21) came through in that set-offense to put them on the scoreboard 11-1 at around the 16 minute mark in the second half.

The Lady Knights went crazy on the sideline, as they raised their fists and sticks in the air.

As the clock wound down, the outcome of the game began to seem inevitable. But two big goals from Cassedy turned the momentum in the game once more.

Their energy was up as Piper Pistorino (’19) dove after a loose ball right in front of her team on the sideline. A loud “thump” and moan from the crowd told of the dirty play.

She hobbled off the field with scrapes and blood down her leg, but the cheers from her teammates told her she had done her job.

The hustle and the hunger was there for the Lady Knights, but it seemed to be too late.

“[Plant] got ten quick in the first half and we lost our energy and after that first goal we started to pick it up,” West said. “And then two more and we started to play our hearts out in the last five minutes. If it were earlier, we probably would’ve gotten a little bit more, but I think we were a little tired.”

The Lady Knights closed out the game 15-3, but they never let the score dictate their attitudes.

“I know it looks like a bad loss, but we know Plant’s a really good team,” Pistorino said. “So, we don’t beat ourselves too hard about it but we definitely review what we did and try to improve for next time.”

Corey Hendricks (’18) snatched four ground balls and caused two turnovers for the Lady Knights.

And to top off her own two goals, Cassedy controlled four team draws.

“I think Carolina performed amazing,” Pistorino said. “She’s really the MVP of the whole team.”

Even with her teammates hyping her up, Cassedy encouraged team unity.

“I’m really proud of every single person out there because they all gave a lot of heart,” Cassedy said. “Everyone was having fun and that’s all that really matters.”

The Lady Knights will face Durant (1-5) at home on Monday, April 2 (6311 S. Louis Ave., 33616).