Telluride, Colo. - After a whole year of nurturing, prodding, leading, and coaching, Katie Kennedy is switching sides, turning her back, and trying to destroy the team she helped create.

The coach of the Telluride girls lacrosse team will be on the opposite team today in Lawson Hill, when her team takes on a group of recreational grown-up female lacrosse players — for fun bragging rights.

“I’m not gonna go easy on them,” Kennedy said.

The game starts at 5:30 p.m., and Kennedy says she’s looking for more players to join the grown-up team — and destroy the middle and high school kids.

It’s the last time her lacrosse girls will take the field this season, their second season. It’s also their first and only home game.

They traveled all over the Western Slope, playing six games against Aspen, Grand Valley, Battle Mountain and Eagle Valley.

“We showed great improvement over the course of the season,” said Kennedy.
The team had only five returning players.

“The rest were all brand new, which was pretty exciting,” Kennedy said.

There were 15 girls who had barely picked up a stick before in their lives, ranging in age from 7th grade to seniors.

The team did not win any games.

But by their final tournament, last weekend in Edwards, goals were scored by Brittany Biggs, Kenya Johnson, Mia McLaughlin, Tenae Sandoval, and Nina Gerona.

And the goal was tended by Devin Erie, Willow Thompson and Kim Kiser.

Kennedy was helped by volunteer coaches Sara Taylor, Darcy Badger, Karen Raleigh and Jennifer Hubbard.

“The sport’s growing,” Kennedy said. She hopes her team will have a successful season next year.