Girls Varsity Lacrosse traveled to Auckland, New Zealand for summer training after the 2022-23 school year ended last June. The team was fresh off an impressive 16-13 victory in its Founders League championship game against Taft just a few weeks earlier. 

Along with former Head Coach Anna Traggio P’20, ’22, ’26 and Assistant Coach Brittany Giacco, eighteen current players, recently graduated Seniors, and incoming recruits joined the trip. Over the course of nearly two weeks, players immersed themselves in New Zealand’s culture, taught lacrosse clinics, and played two games against local schools. 

Avery Doran ’24, who is committed to play Division 1 lacrosse at Brown University, said, “The highlights of the trip were working with local lacrosse teams to help grow the game in New Zealand and getting to learn directly about their culture.” 

Etta Coburn ’24, who is committed to the University of Massachusetts Amherst for lacrosse, said, “The opportunity to exchange cultural values with the Maori people totally opened our eyes. The girls on the Epsom School team sang us one of their beautiful traditional songs, in response to which we chanted the school song ‘Fair Hotchkiss.’” 

Head Coach Traggio said, “My lacrosse highlight was seeing the girls at Epsom learn from our girls. They were sponges, and our girls were terrific teachers.” 

During their stay, the team played friendly matches against the Auckland School and Epsom Grammar School Girls Varsity Lacrosse, focusing on instruction rather than keeping score. 

The team also engaged in a variety of bonding activities including black water rafting, ziplining, and hiking. Coburn said, “The boarding experience itself was a lot of fun too. We spent nearly every night in each others’ rooms playing games, watching movies, etc.” 

Coach Traggio said, “In New Zealand, we grew the game, shared an adventure, learned about a different culture, and made new friends. The girls really leaned on each other as they tested themselves in many different situations.”