Spring sports seasons just started, but the Spartans girls lacrosse co-op team including St. Paul Academy, Nova Classical Academy, St. Agnes High School, and St. Croix Lutheran has been playing together since before spring break. From hosting captains practice to Wednesday morning wall ball, girls lacrosse has been putting in the work on and off the field.

A common theme across most Spartan teams is a positive culture and a tight-knit community. For ninth-grader Sophia Wenberg, nothing compares to the positive team culture. “Being on a team that cares about you and laughs with you is super great,” she said. “I think the culture is amazing because everyone helps each other and supports each other and everyone cheers each other on.”

Captain Dia Chaney has goals that include maintaining the positive pre-existing team cultures. “We’re doing more team dinners and a team brunch earlier in the season this year in hopes that people can get to know each other better before games start up … [and] so that the team can bond outside of lacrosse,” she said.

While the team hopes to continue the positive atmosphere, they also strive for success on the field. Both Chaney and Wenberg are excited to get back on the field and see all their hard work pay off. “I’m most excited about getting to play games with the team again,” Chaney said.

Wenberg is also ready to get on the field and succeed. She also spoke about the team’s goals and her own personal hopes for the season. “I to get better as a team and help each other grow in the sport. I also personally hope we do well in more games this year … I’m most excited for the games this season because it shows how hard the team worked this year,” she said.

Overall, the team hopes to grow throughout the season, both on and off the field, through conditioning and team meals. The team hopes to find more success on the score sheet and spend time with the team that Wenberg and other players love.

The season kicks off with a home opener against Tartan on Apr. 15, and captains suggest that students come to their home games against the Ducks, a co-op team that includes St. Paul public high schools and Two Rivers High School, or to Minneapolis a combined team of all Minneapolis public schools, as these games will take place on May 18 and Apr. 28.