ON FIRE: Hun School girls’ lacrosse player Shannon Dudeck heads to goal last Friday against Stuart Country Day School. Senior star Dudeck scored five goals to help Hun defeat Stuart 17-4. The Raiders, who improved to 3-2 with the win, are next in action when they play at Peddie School April 12. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Things didn’t go well for the Hun School girls’ lacrosse team in its first two games last week.

Hun dropped a 12-11 heartbreaker to crosstown foe Princeton Day School on April 3.

Two days later, the Raiders absorbed an 18-7 drubbing to arch-rival Lawrenceville.

Before hosting Stuart Country Day last Friday, Hun took some time to work on its mental game.

“We had a motivational speaker yesterday who talked about recognizing your mistakes, regrouping, and refocusing,” said Hun head coach Liz Cook.

Hun senior star Shannon Dudeck apparently took that message to heart, scoring five goals to help the Raiders end the week with a bang as they defeated Stuart 17-4 and improved to 3-2.

“It was a really big building game for our team; we worked together really well,” said Dudeck.

“We bounced back after a tough loss. Hopefully we are in for a good rest of the season.”

In reflecting on her big game, Dudeck said it was a product of some intense training.

“All the work that I have been putting in is paying off now,” said Dudeck.

“It is good to live out my senior year and take advantage of these last moments that I have here with Hun lacrosse because of everything they have given me. It is really good to give back to them.”

As a result of her stellar play for Hun, Dudeck will be giving her all for another team next spring as she is headed to Holy Cross where she will be playing for the women’s lax program.

“I have really been trying to amp up my game and become bigger, faster, and stronger,” said Dudeck.

“I have to be more aggressive with everything and learn how to play at that level.”

Dudeck has worked on developing her leadership skills as well, serving as one of the team’s co-captains this spring along with classmates Delia Lawver and Maddie McNulty.

“It is everything I could ask for,” said Dudeck of being a captain.

“We are a family and being able to be a role model is awesome. We are a very close knit team this year. It shows on the field when we play with each other.”

On the field, Dudeck looks to show her leadership by triggering the Hun attack.

“I have a hunger for goals and feeding,” said Dudeck. “If I see the open lane, I will take it.”

Hun head coach Liz Cook likes the hunger Dudeck has been displaying this spring.

“Shannon is having a great start; she is so consistent and focused,” said Cook.

“As a captain, she has the ability to really press our kids to play their best. She really has this intensity that drives our team. She is taking it very seriously and she wants to play at the next level at Holy Cross and she is absolutely going to do that. She is such a great leader and great person for me to have as one of the captains.”

In the win over Stuart, the Raiders got some great contributions across the board as Cook’s daughter, sophomore attacker Zoe, scored four goals with Lawver chipping in a goal and five assists, junior Hannah Bunce contributing two goals and two assists, and junior Piper Schinsky adding two goals and two assists.

“Zoe had a nice game, the goalies have been stuffing her,” said Cook, who has another daughter, junior defender Josie, on the squad.

“She has been frustrated with the shooting in the last couple of games and we really worked on her faking a little bit so she learned to fake and put it down low. She can find the back of the net beautifully and with ease. She never looks like she is trying very hard but she is always really focused.”

Cook admonished her team to try hard against Stuart, looking for her players to keep their focus even as the Hun lead stretched to 14-2 by halftime.

“It is don’t take any team for granted,” said Cook. “On any given day, any team can beat any team and that it is really important for you to play at your level and not at their level and I think we started out at their level. I told the girls don’t think that they can’t throw and catch because they sure can. They have got a great coach.”

In Cook’s view, the win over the Tartans was just what Hun needed to get on the right track after the tough losses to start the week.

“We have a great little team here that can throw and catch and I wanted to get our transition back, which they seemed to lack at PDS and Lawrenceville,” said Cook.

“This game is over and our next game is at Peddie. I am really excited for the rest of the season. We have a lot of film to watch so we will watch that film and make our corrections with some of the things that I have seen.”

Dudeck, for her part, is excited to see what the Raiders can do over the rest of the spring.

“It is definitely a solid start,” said Dudeck. “We have to work during practice and make sure that over the rest of the season we play our best lacrosse.”