Rockford’s Alex Vander Molen, left, is one of three players to have won three straight Div. 1 state titles.
Rockford’s girls lacrosse team is the definition of a dynasty. The Rams have been to eight consecutive state semifinals and have won three straight Division 1 titles.
And coach Mike Emery doesn’t shy away from saying the goal is four straight.
“We only have a couple of goals,” Emery said. “Win championships and create lifetime memories for these kids. Each year it’s our objective to win a conference championship and a state championship. We start each year with those objectives. You set the expectation high and build the work into it.”
What does it take to be a successful Rockford lacrosse player?
“A commitment to the team and to each other,” he said. “We do a lot of things differently, but we have tons of fun. As long as they are committed to being here every day and giving 100% … we know if they follow our system that we’ll be in good shape. It’s come to work every day and have fun.”
Seniors Ryann Deuel (Davenport), Zoe Newmann (Central Michigan) and Alex Vander Molen have been on all three state championship teams. Vander Molen and Deuel are two-year captains.
“Most teams never get one, and if they do they lose a lot of seniors and have to rebuild,” said Vander Molen, who is headed to Ohio State. “I feel like since my freshman year we’ve grown and grown and grown. A fourth state championship would mean that all this hard work we put in for four years has consistently paid off.”
Emery said the groundwork begins in the grade school and junior varsity programs. There’s a great goalie coach and a junior varsity coach in Mark Neumen, who probably could get his own program.
“We have a great youth program in Rockford,” Emery said. “Mark has been with me for nine years, and he’s great at teaching skills. He spends tireless time with stickwork and one-on-one with kids.”
Despite entering the week 14-2, the Rams might have not hit their stride.
“We had a lot of freshmen come up that were ready to play,” Vander Molen said. “This year I feel like we’re having more fun with it. We know when we need to play hard and pull it all together. Our coach pushes us to be better and practice hard. He’s a great coach. He wants us to thrive in a competitive atmosphere. He does so much for us on offense.”
Rockford’s Ryann Deuel, left, is one of three players to have won three straight Div. 1 state titles.
While Deuel and Newmann are strong on offense, they are playing defense instead this season.
“We have six seniors, and three of them have been with us since they were freshmen,” Emery said.
“Ryann is a very skilled player with an excellent shot, but we don’t use her on offense. We use her to anchor our defense. She knows that by playing defense it gives us a chance to win games and a chance to win championships. She’s OK with sacrificing individual statistics. She’s like a coach on the field.
“Zoe’s also an excellent player. She also has great stick skills, and she also plays on our defensive end. She’s highly regarded and a highly rewarded player. She’s very unselfish. On a lot of teams, she’d be an attacker or a midfielder. But for us she’s willing to play defense.
“One of the things we tell the girls when they come up is that they have to play defense. One of the things we’re known for is being tenacious when we lose the ball on the redefend on the offensive end. If our kids can’t play defensively, they have a hard time getting on the field for us.”
Both admitted playing defense is harder.
Rockford’s Zoe Newmann is one of three players to have won three straight Div. 1 state titles.
“I started playing defense three years ago,” Newmann said. “At first I was like, ‘I really don’t want to play defense.’ Now I kind of like it. It’s more of the aggressive part of the game.”
Deuel trusts in her ability to be a scorer when needed.
“I like playing defense more than playing offense,” she said. “It’s surprising to most people. I’d be willing to do whatever is best for my team. It is fun to go play offense every once in a while.”
While all the championship teams have been different, Deuel said there’s a distinct family atmosphere on this unit.
“We love being together,” she said. “We love to hang out outside of practice and games. We like to spend as much time as we can together. We all know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We play off that.
“We’ve come together really nicely this year. Everything is clicking.”
Contact Perry A. Farrell: 313-222-2555 or pafarrell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @farrellperry.