The East Grand Rapids girls lacrosse team has advanced to the state semifinals for the ninth straight time as it gets set to play DeWitt on Wednesday in division two at Haslett High School.
The Pioneers are not only dealing with the loss of last season and all the COIVD-19 protocols like everybody else, but they also have a new head coach this year in Geri Merrell.
Longtime head coach Rich Axtell has stayed on as an assistant coach.
"As coaching and management have changed and the season has been all question marks, we have been able to stay together as a team and kind of control the controllables," senior defender Caroline Grin said. "Stick together and work together to be successful.
Grin is only one senior on the roster this spring, but the junior class is extremely talented and has carried the load so far.
"I think a lot of us girls playing together, we played together throughout the summer, and my class has been really tight knit," junior midfielder Eliana LaMange said. "I think just having that experience together and chemistry has been really helpful."
