Bridgewater, Va. – The Bridgewater women’s lacrosse team’s season has begun, and the Eagles, along with head coach Ashley Hudges and assistant coaches Liz Bereit and Ciara Burud, are prepared to prove themselves in the ODAC. 

The team has 28 players and an exciting yet tough schedule this season. Bridgewater women’s lacrosse will have to work hard to fight for their spot in the ODAC, as they went 6-12 in their 2021-22 season.

“I think in my second year here, I am just excited to continue on with what we started last year. Obviously, we have things that we need to continue to work on, but I am excited to have a group that has been with me for two years,” said head coach Ashley Hudges. “We are used to each other on the field, we know what our expectations are and some of our strategies that they are used to, and it’s not all brand new.”

The players of the BC women’s lacrosse team are looking forward to building team culture in addition to playing the sport. 

“I am looking forward to the bus rides; singing and watching movies together,” said junior Ashley Venit. “In general, I am just looking forward to being on the field with my best friends and making new memories.”

Hudges discusses her practice format and style as “high tempo,” which can be reflected in how the team plays offense and defense.

“We practice kind of high tempo everything, so we play a zone defense which is very team-oriented; one person has their job. You can’t be very individual, and it has to be a team effort,” said Hudges. “If one person is not doing their job right, then everything kind of falls apart.”

The team is looking forward to playing against some of their rival teams.

“The rival team I am looking forward to playing is Virginia Wesleyan. Last season we lost to them by one since we were a young team with freshmen and sophomores mainly playing. We were still figuring out connections and what works best for us,” said Venit. “This season we have discovered those connections and are making changes. Seeing the progress that we have made, I am looking forward to seeing how that game will turn out.”

During the 2021-2022 season, the team had 166 goals and 73 assists. The eagles are placed seventh in the ODAC preseason poll.

“Games that we played last year were really close, like Virginia Wesleyan. I know we all would like that game back,” said Hudges. “Juniata College was a game we did not play very well and on conference last year. I think they are excited to have another swing at them.”

The team is fired up this season preparing for the tough competition that the conference brings.

“For us, every game is tough. We try to make practices so that they are challenging by having high tempo, getting in some of that physical conditioning with just some running of 100 yd. sprints and things like that,” said Hudges. “Taking opportunities in practice to do a lot of live play, whether we’re doing scrimmage style stuff or some more abstract drills where it is high intensity, working in small spaces.”

So far on the season, the women’s lacrosse team has gone 4-2. Their next game is at 4 p.m. on March 15 when they host Juniata College.