Umbrellas opened in the stands and fans huddled underneath to keep dry as the wind and rain blew around them.
On Clarkston’s field was a different scene, as the girls varsity lacrosse team took to the field for the season opener.
Lady Wolves battled the elements and the cold to tie their game against Waterford United at seven points.
‘We started out ahead. We fell a little, but then we came back,? said Coach Kaitlyn Sitar. ‘It shows a lot about their determination and preseverance as well.?
Senior Mickayla Meola put the girls into the lead with her first two goals.
As the Wolves went into the second half, Waterford controlled the scoreboard, 5-2.
The girls turned things around in the second half and put more shots on goal, and a few from Kelsey Reardon and Meola narrowed the distance by one point.
Carrie Thams held onto possession of the ball before shooting it towards the bottom of Waterford’s net, tying the game at six points with 13 minutes remaining in the game.
Waterford grabbed onto the ball and scored their last goal.
The momentum increased and Clarkston added three more shots on goal before Jessica Goyke put her shot in.
‘They are really working,? said Sitar. ‘They have been concentrating on accurate passes at a good level and they are doing that awesomingly. Katie Chasins, our goalie, it was her first time in goal and she had some great blocks.?
Meola and Reardon led the offense with plays that scored a few goals and Moriah Champion led the defense attackers.
‘Reardon really helped to slow it down on offense and got some good goals off of it,? said Sitar. ‘It was really nice seeing them working together and ending in a score.?
The tie showed the progress the girls have made since last season ended 1-13-1.
Before the official start of the season the girls played a scrimmage against Swartz Creek.
‘They looked a 100 percent better than last year,? said Sitar.
‘They are working better as a team more than I have ever seen them work together as a team, and it’s showing. They are able to do so much more running up and down the field together.?
The team has added six new faces to an already established team – Moriah Champion, Katie Chasins, Quinn Dabrowski, Danielle Dunn, Devon Lawrey, Stephanie Rosenthan and Hannah Sim.
‘We have a really good base team that is used to working together and it’s paying off now,? said Sitar. ‘Being their third year with varsity they have are growing. Now they are melding together.?
Sitar admitted it was harder this year to make cuts to the team because so many good players tried out for the young program.
The girls take this week off for Spring Break but will make up for the week off with three days of back-to-back games.
‘We’re excited for this season, they are looking good,? said Sitar.
‘The look like a team this year and to start off that way they will only get better.?