A young team with talent looks to have a harder road to make it back to the playoffs.

With any team that has a spectacular season only to lose in the championship game, there’s always the question of a letdown the following season.

For football fans, it’s called the “Super Bowl Curse” in which the losing team of the Super Bowl hasn’t made the playoffs at all for the past few years, and it wasn’t until the Seattle Seahawks won their division that the ignoble streak was broken.

Bainbridge girls lacrosse coach Tami Tommila hopes the team can avoid that emotional letdown, but they won’t consume themselves with wanting retaliation against their rival in state champion Lakeside.

“Our season isn’t about revenge,” she said. “We can’t do that. We just have to take it one group at a time.

“There’s not any ‘I’ players, which is nice. We’re just trying to create a new chemistry and a new journey with this group.”

Last year, the Spartans went undefeated for just the third time in the history of the program and made it back to the title game.

They were denied in their attempt to win a third straight state championship, as they once did under former coach and WSLF Hall of Famer Laurie Usher, when the Lions beat them 11-9 last May in Seattle.

The hangover from that disappointing loss hasn’t got them down as they’ve started this season.

“I think we did a good job ending our year and talking about the experience,” Tommila said. “I don’t think they’re carrying that baggage over from last year, because last year’s team was last year’s team. It’s done. Now it’s just a matter of letting it go. You can’t go back and play it again.”

Senior midfielder and co-captain Tarie Cauoette felt the same way.

“As a team mentality, we don’t play for revenge,” she said. “We’re not out to beat Lakeside. That’s not our goal for the season. We take one game at a time and do our thing.”

But with a new season comes the realization that they won’t have their captains and All-Americans in Colbi Brawner, Jane Baumgartner and Dimi Lotakis on the field with them.

And senior defender and co-captain Erin Gulbranson admitted they do feel some of that weight on them to make up for their leadership and performance.

“I think there is a little bit of pressure but it’s our year,” she said. “It’s a whole different group of people.”

“The good part about this year is that we have strong players all over the field,” Cauoette said. “There’s not those star players (on the field) but it’s more of a well rounded team.”

Along with Gulbranson, Cauoette and senior attacker Marley Horne, all captains, several players return to lead a team with plenty of talent, but not much experience.

Those returners include sophomore center midfielder Sally Baumgartner, Jane’s sister, Natalie Evans, sophomore defender Rachel Harmon, Megan Mendenhall and Lucy Schlesser.

Tommila likes how Schlesser has performed in the first few games of the season, as she leads the team and is in the top ten in scoring in the league with 12 goals.

The rest of the team is made up of players who were on the varsity B squad last season.

Tommila also has just one freshman on this year’s team as opposed to four last season, but Sydney Whitaker has made her presence felt as she has made it into the starting lineup.

“She’s great,” she said. “She’s made an impact right away.”

Also making an impact early is Josefine Wallace who is replacing Lotakis, a four-year starter, in goal.

“That’s a lot of pressure for her (to replace Lotakis) but she’s doing really good,” Cauoette said.

She and the rest of the team will have to make an impact in a league that has vastly improved teams.

Along with Lakeside, Lake Sammamish, Mercer Island, Holy Names and Forest Ridge are the biggest competition for Bainbridge this season.

“There’s going to be a lot of teams that are (getting better), she said. “I fear all of them.”

Her worry was confirmed, as the team lost their chance for an undefeated season earlier this month.

They defeated Seattle Prep and Roosevelt by double digits at home, but lost to Lakeside 13-8 on the road after taking a 5-1 lead.

Tommila won’t worry about competing with the Lions this early in the season. She just wants the team to focus on the little things.

“Lakeside’s where they’re at right now,” she said. “They’re returning their entire team and we’re returning a team without our All-Americans so it’s going to take a little longer for us to get up there, but I have faith that we’ll get there. We’ll just have to take baby steps.

“It’s so relaxed,” she continued. “Not that it wasn’t (last year) but there’s a lot of unselfishness. We’re trying to go by the root of supporting each other and seeking unlimited potential.”

Bainbridge plays Mercer at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday. They won’t play again until April 10 at North Kitsap.