The Richard Montgomery girls’ varsity lacrosse team fell 7-5 to Gaithersburg High School in their season opener on Tuesday night.

The Trojans stunned the Rockets by snagging the first draw of the game, and settled in the Rockets defensive zone to begin their plays. The defense, led by captains Maeve Givens and Melanie Osborne as well as goalie Cam Aaron, kept a conservative eye on Gaithersburg, but they used their speed to their advantage. Two goals slipped past Aaron before senior offensive powerhouse Sarah Morgan finally answered back. Aaron’s countless saves kept up RM’s morale until the halftime buzzer sounded with a score of 4-2 in favor of the Trojans. The Rockets swarmed into a huddle, buzzing with anxiety.

“I was disappointed,” admitted senior Elizabeth Conway. “[We weren’t] playing as well as I’d anticipated, but I still believed we could catch up.”

“Two points isn’t impossible to [come] back from,” midfielder Zaynah Moen agreed. “We could still take back the game.”

The defense second half turned the tide for RM, and the key, they found, was communication. They stepped up to pressure the ball, forcing Gaithersburg to give up turnovers again and again. They were not only talking on the field, but they were listening, which was something Head Coach Rodney Mullinix made a point of during halftime. The attack, on the other side of the field, was stepping up their game. They took shot after shot, wearing away at the Trojan goalie and keeping the defense on their toes. The RM offense followed through with a couple of great plays that opened up opportunities to score, but there wasn’t enough time to close the gap.

The game ended 7-5 Gaithersburg.

“We had a difficult time clearing and getting the ball up the field,” Moen said regarding the team’s upcoming game against Paint Branch. “We need to work on communicating and getting the plays and passes down.”

“I want everyone on the team, more than anything, to have a good time,” Conway said. “Wins aren’t the most important thing to me this year. I just want to finish the season and my athletic career at RM with good memories of my time on and off the field.”

The Rockets are looking to come out on top in their first home game this week at 7:15 on Thursday night.