BERLIN- With a new head coach at the helm and a line-up heavy with returning players, Stephen Decatur’s girls’ varsity lacrosse team got its new season off to a fast start this week with a 12-8 win over Saints Peter and Paul on the road on Monday.

Former player and assistant coach Sara Braniecki has taken over at Decatur this season, replacing Bob Musitano, who held the position for 12 years. For over a decade, Musitano elevated the Decatur girls’ varsity lacrosse program from a fledgling club level team to a perennial contender for conference, regional and state championships. Last year’s team, for example, ran the table and won a regional championship before falling in the state title game.

Braniecki, a 2007 Decatur graduate and now a teacher at the Berlin school, has been a part of that success first as a player and later as JV coach and varsity assistant coach.  The new coach will attempt to continue that success this year and beyond and appears to have the roster to do it. Eleven players with veteran experience from last year’s state finalist team return this year. The Seahawks got their 2016 season off to a fast start with the 12-8 win over Saints Peter and Paul on the road on Monday.