The Lakeshore Lightning Co-op of Ozaukee and Washington County are progressing through their season, focusing not just on improvement but also on promoting a strong sense of community amongst the team members.
The team consists of 42 players across ten different schools, which includes Cedarburg, Cedar Grove, Germantown, Grafton, Homestead, Port Washington, Slinger, West Bend West, West Bend East, and Hartford. Playing four to six times per week, these players spent the season working to become a better team. Dan Wade, head coach of the team, is pleased with how the team is progressing throughout this season.
“The Lakeshore Lightning is a very young team with two-thirds of the team being freshmen and sophomores, so we are still learning systems and getting to know each other. We are halfway through the season, and we have been improving every week. Our defense and goaltending is one of the best in the state, our penalty killing is elite, and now our offense is improving every week,” Wade said.
From summer captain’s practices to prepping for playoffs in late February through early March, players spent hours improving as a team and growing as a family. Zoe Sternberg, assistant coach of the team, acknowledges that the community of the team affected them as a whole.
“This year’s team is a very fun group of close-knit girls who are very motivated to grow their skills and find team success this season. This specific group has been great because as a team we know when to have fun and when to be serious. Knowing what the situation calls has built a strong foundation for the team community and allows the girls to enjoy all the team success we have had this season,” Sternberg said.
Furthermore, the team’s community has grown close over the months they have had together. The time that they spend together allows them to grow more as a team. Sydney Bertolino, senior, takes pride in the type of community that the team has.
“We have a strong community on the team. We all support each other and have a lot of fun together, whether it be on a bus ride to a game or before practice in the locker room,” Bertolino said.
