Eastside Girls Lacrosse Goalie Brings Heat In Loss To GHS

By Abagail Price and Bruna Arnaes

Eastside Rams goalie Amara Ohaegbulam stood out for her impressive saves and leadership presence against the Gainesville Hurricanes on Thursday night. Despite the 20-0 defeat, Ohaegbulam helped keep the lacrosse team united and determined from first to last whistle.

A Challenging Start

The away game against the undefeated Hurricanes was nothing shy of a beatdown for the Rams (0-3). 

The first few minutes of the match set the tone for the ‘Canes when sophomore Abby Duffield scored the first goal in 32 seconds. 

By the time EHS took its first timeout at 4:07, it was already down 7-0. This pace continued for Duffield and her team in taking a 15-0 lead at halftime

The Fire Inside

Despite the ‘Canes’ 15 unanswered points, the grit and heart displayed by Ohaegbulam did not go unnoticed. Consistently shouting out words of guidance to her teammates and lunging for balls, the young player carried the defense on her back.

Another save by Amara Ohaegbulam. Score: 18-0 Hurricanes pic.twitter.com/cWf9tBichC

— Jasmine Valcin (@jasmineval_06) February 21, 2025

“You’re on fire, Amara,” EHS coach Gwen Hale shouted multiple times throughout the match.

Although GHS was able to score seven points in the first four minutes of the match, Ohaegbulam had reached a 62.5%-save percentage by the end of the fourth quarter. 

While not a captain, Ohaegbulam displayed a strong sense of leadership throughout the game. Her value of communication on the field comes from Eastside’s goalie who she looked up to last year. 

“She was very proud about if you are going to be wrong, be loud about it,” Ohaegbulam said.

Ohaegbulam looks to continue this legacy throughout the remainder of the season.  

Interview with Eastside High goalie Amara Ohaegbulam, after her impressive performance last night. Ohaegbulam had a 62.5% save percentage, despite Gainesville High scoring 20 unanswered goals. pic.twitter.com/xlbUDC1v8A

— Abagail Price (@abagail_pr88247) February 21, 2025

Overcoming Obstacles

The biggest problem Eastside faces is the lack of girls they have on their roster.

In a sport which requires constant back-and-forth motion, girls quickly exhaust their energy. This remained clear throughout the match with GHS outrunning the Rams.

While a lot of girls try out and make the team, not many players stay, Ohaegbulam said. With limited subs, starters rarely get any breaks during games.  

“They run a ton, but they don’t get any subs,” Ohaegbulam said.

Up Next

In coming matches, the team plans to work on making sure every player on the opposing team is being covered. While coverage was good at some points Thursday, it was no match for the Hurricanes’ athleticism. 

The Rams look to improve at 5 p.m. Monday at Newberry (1-1). 

Under the passion and leadership of Ohaegbulam, the Rams will work together to avoid another winless season. 

GHS (4-1) lost 16-5 at Buchholz (2-1) on Friday. The Hurricanes play at Palm Coast Matanzas (0-3) at 6 p.m. Monday.