When Sophia Loiselle steps into the lacrosse realm, she embraces both the team and individual components of the sport.

The Mercer Island High School (MIHS) senior captain spends her time on the field playing both defender and midfielder and has helped lead the Islanders to an 8-1-1 record at press time.

Loiselle said that while she may be focusing on her defensive footwork or stick skills, “At the end of the day, it’s such a team game and it’s really important to work together with everyone else on the field to win and to be successful.”

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)-bound Loiselle is joined in the captains’ spot by fellow seniors Ingrid Marks, an attacker, and Rose Haba, a defender. Loiselle said they are both great leaders on and off the field.

Other standouts include senior goalie Merrick Loeffler (a Lewis & Clark College commit), senior midfielder Chelsea Cho (a University of Denver commit) and sophomore midfielder Lulu Carr, who has racked up copious goals.

MIHS won the state championship last season and Loiselle is excited about what’s happening on the field again with its strong roster of players.

“I think our team has a great culture. The environment is very positive,” she said. “We’re all great friends. Practice every day, it’s so fun to go to. I think the fact that we all connect with each other so well and are able to build off each other’s energy is one of the biggest things that helps us keep winning.”

Loiselle started playing lacrosse in the second grade and will continue competing in the sport at MIT, where she hopes to major in mechanical engineering.

Head coach Lyndsey Gillis praised Loiselle for being a hard worker and for stepping into a big role this year as a captain.

Gillis also received acclaim from Loiselle, who noted: “She’s created such a positive and supportive environment and she’s a great coach and mentor for all our team.”

The Reporter asked Loiselle a series of questions to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into her life:

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

I don’t love it when people are slow walkers.

What’s your favorite movie of all time?

I have a lot of good memories watching the classic “Star Wars” movies with my family when I was little.

What’s a special skill that you’d like to learn?

I think it would be really cool to know how to do a backflip.

Do you have a hidden talent maybe that people don’t know about?

I broadcast for my high school’s radio station, 88.9 The Bridge. I would say that maybe people wouldn’t expect me to be involved in broadcast radio, but I am.

Are you gonna continue maybe doing radio outside of high school?

I love my time with The Bridge, and radio has definitely been something that shaped my high school experience. And if I have more opportunities to pursue radio in the future, I would definitely look into them.

What superpower would you like to have?

It would be really cool to be able to fly.

If you’re having a tough day there at school, what’s a good way to break out of that?

It’s always great to connect with family and friends. I also like to just get outside, go for a walk, go for a run, get in nature, kind of have an opportunity to reset.

What’s your motto when you wake up and attack each day? What do you hope to achieve each day?

For me, it’s really important to dedicate my time to things that are meaningful to me and things that I enjoy. When I’m doing those things to try to always give my full effort and my full energy into the things that I choose to do.

What would be one or two examples of that?

For lacrosse, that means showing up to every practice present and ready to bring the energy. For school, if I’m choosing to dedicate my time to an assignment, making it meaningful and putting in all the effort I can.