Saints sixth in VISAA poll

Published 9:56 pm Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Nansemond-Suffolk Academy’s lacrosse team is No. 6 in the recent state poll.

The Saints are 5-2 after defeating Norfolk Christian School 14-3 at home on Monday. NSA’s domination allowed the team to get many players involved in the win.

“All in all, I thought we were pretty solid all over the field,” Saints coach T.W. Johnson said. “It’s good when you have different guys make contributions to a win.”

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More good news for the Saints arrived on Monday, with the release of the first Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II lacrosse poll of the season, which listed NSA at the No. 6 spot.

It is an exciting time for the Saints, and Johnson is proud of what his team has done so far, but he wants them to take everything day by day.

“We are just trying to get better week by week,” Johnson said. “We feel like if we do that, we feel like there is a chance we can continue to be one of the top teams in the end.”

There isn’t much difference among the top 10 or so teams. Johnson believes on any given day, any team could beat any other.

“It’s been a positive pressure on us, knowing that we have to practice well every day and play as a team,” Johnson said. “There are a lot of different things that will have to go into us being successful. We have to make sure we eat right, stretch and take care of our bodies.”

In the 2014-2015 season, NSA ranked well for the whole season. Some of this year’s players were part of that 2014-2015 team and are excited about where this year’s team is at the moment.

“I think all of this is pretty exciting, personally,” Johnson said. “Just knowing we are going to be in competitive games for the rest of the season. What’s most important is knowing that we are going to be in meaningful games late in the year. As a student-athlete that’s all you want is to be playing in meaningful games at the end of the season.”

NSA’s next matchup will be a vital one. They will be taking on Covenant School at home Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Covenant was ranked No. 3 in the VISAA poll, so the game should be a competitive one.

NSA 14, Norfolk Christian 3

NSA goals: Jackson 5, Browne 2, Dowd 2, Cogswell, Wren, Goldberg, Bono, Birdsong