FREEPORT — One win.

Freeport High School's girls lacrosse seniors were looking for more.

Denied.

The Yellowjackets finished 1-17 last season — the 8-6 victory over Greensburg Salem April 4 being their first win in three years. Seniors on this year's team were attacker Brianna Guenther, goalie Maddie Ravotti, midfielder Tea Smith and defender Tori Horvath.

“This team was going to be one to watch, with upcoming players making huge strides and our seniors playing one final season,” second-year coach Tahlon Kirkland said.

The COVID-19 pandemic put an end to that season after just one scrimmage this year, leaving the lacrosse team's senior class with that one career victory.

“I was super excited about this team,” Kirkland said. “We were going to be more experienced and I loved this senior group.

“We played that scrimmage and I could already see how much better we were going to be.”

Horvath agreed.

“More than half our girls were first-year players last year,” she said. “We just lacked experience. I know we would have won more games this spring.”

Smith is headed to La Roche University and will play lacrosse there. She plans to study health sciences.

Guenther is going to Pitt-Johnstown, where she will major in biology and minor in chemistry.

Ravotti will attend Seton Hill University and study biochemistry on a pre-med track.

Horvath will attend Robert Morris University for nursing.

“The way the medical people have performed throughout this pandemic inspires me,” Horvath said. “It makes me want to have a career in health care. I'm impressed by how these people are so selfless in their efforts to help others.”

Kirkland sees positive futures for all four of his seniors.

“They are amazing kids. They would have been such leaders this year,” the coach said. “They were primed to send this program in a positive direction. I think they've already done that.”

Some of them have been teammates in summer lacrosse as well.

Smith scored 25 percent of the Yellowjackets' goals last season and was primed to be one of the team's top scorers this spring.

“We were building toward this year,” Smith said. “Our teamwork was coming together.

“La Roche is just starting a women's lacrosse program. They had been a club team. I'm looking forward to building something there as well.”

Kirkland described Smith as “extremely motivated, a player with great work ethic.”

This season would have been Ravotti's fourth in goal for the Yellowjackets.

'She was tough between the pipes,” Kirkland said. “Shots came at her and she loved to stand in there and block those shots. She was involved in a lot of extra-curricular activities and service to the community.”

The coach described Guenther as someone who “always did her part for the team. She developed a really good shot that would have been big for us this year.”

Guenther was entering her second season of lacrosse and described the memories the team has made as “priceless.”

Horvath played forward for the Pittsburgh Vipers girls hockey team in addition to lacrosse.

“I developed interest in lacrosse through playing hockey,” she said. “I love intense sports like that.”

“Tori is very aggressive, very vocal,” Kirkland said. “I'm sure she got her tenacity from hockey.”

The Yellowjackets were so happy about winning that one game last year that the team went out to breakfast together the next morning.

“I know we would have won more this year,” Smith said. “It's a shame we didn't get a chance to prove it.

“But that win last year will always be a great memory for us.”