It has been a rebuilding spring season for Cranston’s girls lacrosse teams.

East sits at 1-9 after picking up its first win last week when it beat Rogers in an 11-10 double-overtime thriller. Lily Tillinghast led the Bolts that game with six goals while Alyssa Pereira added two goals and two assists. Bella Dupret, Ayla Tuscia and Maddie Flinn also got on the board in the victory.

The team most recently took on Bay View on the road on Monday and fell 14-5 to the Tigers. Flinn and Tillinghast each found the back of the cage twice while Pereira also scored in the loss.

The Bolts are excited at what they are building this season with a large group of juniors, including Tillinghast, Flinn, Pereira and Dupret. East coach Howard Chun is encouraged by his core of leaders and is looking for the underclassmen to progress in order for the team to return to the playoffs next year.

“Looking at next year, we’re hoping that all of the mistakes that we’re making will fix themselves with experience. We have flashes of what we could be. We’ll keep working, our freshmen and sophomores are coming along nicely,” said Chun. “They show promise and that’s what we have right now. Promise and they work together. We want to build around (our juniors). Right now, people key on them, so it’s about giving them better opportunities. We need to get other people involved because that will make things easier.”

The Falcons are 2-6 in Division II and have a lineup made up primarily of underclassmen. West has nine freshmen on board and four sophomores.

Freshmen Sofia Nardelli and Zoe Budano have had breakout seasons on offense for the Falcons while seniors Julia Levy and Alexa Hogan have been keeping things steady both on and off the field.

“What we’ve been doing is focusing on three key points each game, then focusing on them in practice. Sometimes if we get down a bit, we tend to play at the other team’s level and we don’t play to the strengths that we have. Our biggest thing is working together and making sure we’re communicating as a team and seeing the field,” said West coach Bianca Madonna, who has relied on her seniors to help steer the rebuild. “They’re great role models and great assets. I don’t want to put too much pressure on them, but I do know the underclassmen look up to them. They can carry a lot of weight on their shoulders.”

West is expecting another large freshmen class to join the program next season and the Falcons are thrilled to see their numbers on the rise as they continue to solidify their place in the division.

“It’s a rebuilding year and I think having them so young, it will be a great, coachable experience. They can grow this year and in the next four years of high school,” Madonna said.