HERSHEY, Pa. — It's never easy to make it to a District Championship game.
And while there is strength in numbers, numbers were not always a strength for Lancaster Country Day's girls' basketball team.
"Our goal was to get here," said Head Coach Fernando Sanchez. "That was one goal for the girls because they didn't make it here. They fell short last year."
A year ago, the Cougars were the top seed in the district tournament. But injuries and illnesses forced a forfeit, leading to a sudden and disappointing end in the district semifinals.
"The girls returning from last year, they were hungry," recalled Sanchez.
More numbers helped this season, including one from slightly outside of Lancaster County.
"I'm from Germany. And I'm currently on an exchange year here," said junior Carolina Lang.
Lang sees a lot of minutes for the Cougars.
"We loved having her around. I mean, she was one of the hardest workers," said Sanchez. "I hate to see her leave. I wish I could have her another year."
Lang has certainly made the most of her time at Lancaster Country Day. While basketball is nothing new to her, it was a sport she never played before that helped her make fast friends.
"Field hockey practice started before school started. I already knew people and people are just really open and really nice to come up to you and ask you your name and where you're from. It really helps playing a team sport, especially, because you get to spend a lot of time with your teammates and friends."
And for her first and only field hockey season, Lang was not about to back down from a challenge.
"I was kind of pushed into the goalie position and it worked out. It was really fun," recalled Lang.
It was really fun because Lang was really good.
She was first-team all-section, helping the Cougars to a section title. While she'll return home in June, she hopes to help Lancaster Country Day well into March in the state tournament.
"It feels really great to know that our team can pull together and achieve our goals," said Lang.
"I think she had a great experience on our team this year and hopefully she learned a couple of things this year that she can take back to her country," added Sanchez.