Courtesy of Brennan Pak
The boys lacrosse team had their recent 7-3 victory against Aragon on March 16.Head Coach: Brian Dodge
Last year’s record: 4-8
Recap: The team ended last season last year without a win in the Pacific Coastal Athletic League; their focus was centered around rebuilding the team with only a few returning players.
Key Matchups: Harbor, Latino College Preparatory Academy and Monte Vista Christian
Star Players: seniors Brennan Pak, Sanchit Nakil and Vasisht Palisetti and junior Noah Nguyen
Key losses to graduation: Itamar Shoshani and Finn Smith
League: Blossom Valley Athletic League
Prognosis:
With 21 players on the team this season — a slight uptick compared to 18 players last season, this season is off to a better start: The Falcons won their first game of the season against Harbor 10-2 on March 2 and took home another victory against Aragon 7-3 on March 16.
Under head coach Brian Dodge’s guidance, senior captain midfielder Brennan Pak believes their opening game showed a glimpse of what the team is capable of. With only two games played as of March 23, Pak believes the team can finish in the top two spots, if not win the league, which gives them a good chance of going to CCS.
“Our first win was meaningful to us as it paved the way for having a more enjoyable season, as wins come with better team dynamics,” Pak said. “All players executed very well and were aware of their roles. Considering only our first game, everyone had good sportsmanship as well as (a good) understanding of how the game worked.”
Pak credits the early success to the consistent effort put in by the four captains: seniors Jayden Kwong, Lucas Hawthorne, Peter Farone and himself. Altogether, the four take accountability during practices and games to ensure everyone is safe and focused; they also work closely with Dodge to guide the team’s overall playing strategy.
Compared to last season, this season’s midfield lineup improved significantly as most players who didn’t have a lot of experience in the sport practiced during the offseason and were able to fill in the holes left by graduated players.
The team’s early season challenges came from a group of new players who had to quickly learn the sport while quick stick drills and faking techniques. At the same time, injuries, such as senior Nirvan Shah’s knee injury and Hawthorne’s recovery from injury during the football season, limited overall performance, even though they remained committed and are working to return to full capability.
Looking ahead, Pak said the team needs to stay calm and slow down during games, especially as it prepares for key matchups against Latino College Preparatory Academy and Monte Vista Christian School later in the season.
“Our team isn’t the largest, so once a player possesses the ball, players who are playing both offense and defense need time to recover and process everything that’s happening. In that way, offensive players learn how to possess the ball and move it around the offensive side of the field better,” Pak said.
