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WESTON, Conn. It was only a few years ago, but the memory sticks vividly in the mind of Weston lacrosse player Catie Ledwick.
In her freshman year, the Trojans went 4-12. It wasnt pretty, Ledwick said. We never moved the ball on offense.
It seems like light years ago now for Ledwick and the Trojans, who will try to take another step toward a second straight Class S state championship against Old Lyme on Monday. Third-seeded Weston meets No. 11 Old Lyme in the Class S quarterfinals at 5 p.m. at Weston.
The turnaround has been stunning for Weston, which finished 8-9-1 in 2010. Coach Megan Murphy took the reins last year, and the Trojans caught fire in the postseason. They reeled off four straight wins, including an 8-7 win over Granby in the title game. En route to the title game, fifth-seeded Weston defeated No. 1 seed Haddam-Killingworth and No. 4 North Branford.
Shes the reason why we win, Ledwick said of Murphy, a former All-American at Gettysburg College. Its awesome. Ive basically been part of the lacrosse program since it started. My brothers played lacrosse, and I wanted to be just like them. Its been awesome to see it grow. I think we owe a lot of it to Megan. Weve improved a lot since she got here.
Murphy was a three-sport star at Wilton High, and coached on the collegiate level at Marist. She was the Class S coach of the year in 2011 and runs a summer camp in Weston.
Ledwick has been a huge part of it as well. She recently topped the 100-goal mark for her career. Lindsay Koch has been a key player in Westons rise. The shifty sophomore also topped 100 career goals in May. The girls are part of a dynamic attack that has scored 15 or more goals 10 times this season.
Remarkably, Weston is now a team some lacrosse followers believe is the favorite to win the Class S title. The Trojans have to win three games this week to achieve that goal, beginning Monday against Old Lyme. Its a stunning turnaround for a program that before last year had never even been .500.
We lost some games against some tough teams, Ledwick said. But we kept our intensity high. That really helps in the postseason. If we get down in games, well never give up. I think thats what playin through those tough games taught us.
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