Spartans host players, face lacrosse teams from England.

POULSBO – If there was any indication that the girls lacrosse game between Bainbridge and Lady Eleanor Holles was a simple exhibition game, it wasn’t apparent to the Spartans.

There was plenty of pushing and shoving going on between both teams, with one of the Holles players carried off the field with a knee injury late in the game.

Afterwards, many of the girls talked to head coach Tami Tommila about the physical play of the British girls on the field.

Both Natalie Evans and Lucy Schlesser – the captains for next season – said there was also some “confusion” over the differences in the rules both teams go by, as there are several changes for international rules that aren’t in the US rulebook.

“Plus hearing their accents on the field kind of throws you off,” Schlesser said.

Bainbridge took on two teams from across the Atlantic last week – Holles, located in Hampton, Middlesex County and Putney High School, located in southwest Greater London – as part of two separate exhibition tours.

Tommila said that getting to play different teams – especially from another country – teaches them about different styles of play.

“These girls are complaining about their style of play, but they go back East and it’s a different style of play (out there) and they love it,” she said. “They don’t get all these calls.

“So with this kind of play, they expect all these calls to happen. But it’s always fun to do this in the summer.”

The varsity A and B teams played Putney on Sunday and Monday, then took on Holles Tuesday and Wednesday.

The two games on Wednesday saw Holles take both games by close scores.

Tommila said its the first loss to a UK school in the three years they’ve been playing them in these exhibition games.

“They’re sending better teams,” she said. “The lady that organizes the tours told us this would be better competition, which is good.”

Despite the loss, both Schlesser and Evans said the team had a lot of fun playing a team from another land.

“I thought it was a great experience,” Evans said. “It’s just cool to see how different they play and how different we play.”

Evans also hosted two players from Putney for a few nights and got to learn – and teach – a few things about the different cultures of both countries.

Schlesser also said the English girls were “stoked to see Ambercrombie and Fitch.”

“That was a big deal,” Evans said.

Despite not having the full team at their disposal due to summer vacations, both Evans and Schlesser said they would gladly take them on with their full team intact.

“They were good competition for us,” Schlesser said, comparing Holles’ play to Forest Ridge. “I think we could kill them if we had our whole team.”

Evans, who felt they were a more “violent” Mercer Island, said they would be up for a trip to their country.

Tommila said it would be great to go overseas, but “they start their season in the fall and I have to stop coaching in the end of August.

“Plus the weather isn’t so great over there,” she continued. “I think we would like to go to Australia.”