Mei Hanaki, a 5 feet 4 inches tall senior midfielder and captain on the UCHS girls lacrosse team, describes the experience of graduating this month — after having attended in-person for only two of her class’ four years because of COVID — and the Centurions’ going to the CIF quarterfinals after losing the entire coaching staff two years ago as “surreal.”
“I love how cutting-edge the field of bio-engineering is,” says the engaging, articulate Hanaki, who will pursue her studies at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland in the fall. “There are a lot of opportunities in health and medicine, also genetics. And I love creating things.”
Hanaki and her three fellow senior captains, defender Alyssa Parinas, attack player Joelle Fineman, and defender Bri Gonzalez, have helped new coach Lizzy Desenfants create a whole lot of new stuff in the way of the girls lacrosse program. The Cents went undefeated in the Eastern League; they unexpectedly downed Mt. Carmel in a non-league match; they did the same against Mission Hills, which had a “lot of pushing and shoving,” in Fineman’s description.
Gonzalez: “We had a few moments when we underestimated how good we were, as far as believing how far we could go.” Desenfants, assistant Cory Cardwell, and the rest of the coaching staff made them believe, to the point UC reached the Div. II quarterfinals before falling.
Parinas, who leads the defense, is heading to Grand Canyon University in the fall to play lacrosse and take nursing: “Everyone on this team is so eager to learn and grow and push us together. We have a lot of younger players. They truly are growing on the team.”
Alyssa, a 5 feet 4 inches tall energy cell herself, says, “Our coaches get our name out there” (by scheduling tough non-league opponents). “Challenging ourselves has definitely helped us grow this year.”
Gonzalez plans to enter USD in the fall to study chemistry on a full ride. “Ever since I was little, I was putting Mentos in the Coke bottle” (to watch the reaction blow up). “With chemistry, I’m going to go into forensics, also data and DNA.” I
n response to a question, she said, “I think it will make the world better because I’ll be doing something to make it better; for example (in forensics) helping a family member to understand when someone has done wrong.”
On defense, Bri emphasized the importance of defending the “X” — directly next to the goal on each side — and the “crease” — the route right around the back of the goal where the opponent tries to set up. “No one can step in,” she said.
Cardwell, the assistant, affirms, “It was a good first season, for sure,” with the brand new coaching staff. “The girls played with passion. Everyone had that drive this year. If we face Santa Fe Christian, who defeated us in the quarterfinals and went on to win the division title, again, we’ll beat them.”
PHOTO BY ED PIPER
