A potentially dangerous change of events turned into a bonding experience for women’s lacrosse.
As Marquette women’s lacrosse was making its way home from Vanderbilt two years ago, the team experienced a problem with their flight.
“We had to land in Ohio because we were running out of gas, and something was wrong,” senior midfielder and captain Grace Gabriel said. “We stayed on the plane there waiting to go home. … They finally told us that we’re not going home and the flight’s canceled.”
Fellow captain Laine Dolan said the team was hanging out while trapped in the airport.
The unexpected stop in Ohio was just one of the experiences Gabriel and Dolan said they’ve enjoyed together over the last four years.
“We have been lucky to do a lot of fun things like go to Niagara Falls and Disney,” Dolan said. “I am also very thankful for our trip to Italy. It created a lot of memories and relationships that we wouldn’t have otherwise gotten.”
Gabriel said the time spent during games doesn’t compare to the time away from the field.
“You spend more time with your teammates off the field than you do on it,” Gabriel said. “It’s really important to make those relationships off of the field to have a good connection on the field.”
Many of the seniors also live together.
“The moments that are created are little, but special,” Gabriel said.
There’s limited time for creating new moments. Alongside Dolan and Gabriel, there are seven other players graduating after this season.
“We have been on four different teams since being here,” Dolan said. “Having all of those people who are constantly there for you in a hard time or when you’re just hanging out is the best. It’s really nice to have this group of 35 girls.”
Marquette’s seniors have two games remaining before postseason play begins. The Golden Eagles head to Denver this Friday and will host Georgetown April 27 for their last regular-season game.
“One of our goals is to beat Denver and Georgetown, which we haven’t done yet,” Gabriel said. “That would be huge and give us momentum going into the BIG EAST Tournament.”
