ATTACK MODE: Hun School girls’ lacrosse player Zoe Cook races to goal in a game earlier this season. Last Friday, junior star attacker Cook tallied five goals and three assists to help Hun defeat Stuart Country Day 15-4. The Raiders, who dropped to 2-3 with a 10-7 loss to Princeton High on Monday, host Peddie on April 11 before playing at Blair Academy on April 14. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Zoe Cook didn’t waste any time setting the tone for the Hun School girls’ lacrosse team as it played at Stuart Country Day last Friday.

The junior attacker tallied four goals and two assists as Hun built an 8-1 lead over the Tartans by halftime and never looked back on the way to a 15-4 win.

“It was a really fast paced and I think we were really pumped up,” said Cook.

“We had a really good practice yesterday; we were all on the same page. We really wanted to hit our stride early in the season and I think we accomplished that.”

With Hun coming off a tough 16-4 loss to Lawrenceville two days earlier, Cook was pumped up to bounce back.

“After that game I was fired up and really excited to get back out here,” said Cook, who ended up with five goals and three assists against Stuart.

As one of Hun’s most experienced players on attack, Cook is looking to shoulder more responsibility on the field.

“I really like feeding, I think that is one of my strong suits,” said Cook. “I try to make plays, I try to get my voice up so I can call for plays.”

Cook is just one voice from her family on the Hun squad as the team’s head coach is her mother, Liz Cook, and her older sister, Josie, is a senior defender and team captain for the Raiders.

“My mom has always been my coach, so I am used to it,” said Cook.

“I don’t treat her like my mom, I treat her like a coach when I am on the field. I like that aspect; she pushes me to be the best I can.”

On the field, Cook has developed a connection with her sister.

“We click pretty well,” said Cook. “When she is transitioning, I am right there with her. It is really fun to play with her.”

Hun head coach Cook liked the way the Raiders clicked in the win over Stuart.

“We built a lot of confidence in this game; we were catching and throwing a little better,” said Cook. “We had a great practice yesterday. We bounce back pretty quickly.”

Cook credited her younger daughter with serving as a catalyst for the Hun offense.

“Zoe was on today; she came out firing today,” said Cook. “She was feeling a little defeated from Lawrenceville and wanted to bounce back a little bit.”

A lot of Hun players were firing away against Stuart as Kiera Black scored two goals while Emily Albanese, Hannah Bunce, Josie Cook, Grace Davis, Renee Nearing, and Sophie Tarditi added one apiece.

“I think that was a real confidence booster for them to be able to trust each other and have other people score than the two or three main scorers we have had in the past,” said Cook.

In Cook‘s view, the balanced scoring reflected a growing team unity.

“Yesterday we were saying that we wanted to be a united team, and that a team that is united can beat a team with talent,” said Cook, whose team dropped to 2-3 with a 10-7 loss to Princeton High on Monday and will host Peddie on April 11 before playing at Blair Academy on April 14.

“We want to be that true family. They really get along great together and they are truly happy for each other. We always talk about getting to play lacrosse and not having to play lacrosse. That is our focus on the season and whatever benefits come from it we will be excited about.”

The younger Cook is excited about Hun’s potential this spring. “We have a pretty competitive  schedule and I think we will do well,” asserted Cook.

“Our clears and transitions can get a little messy. We need to work on stick skills. If we get that down, I think we can be a stronger team.”