As April begins, Heritage students begin to frantic about AP Exams, graduation, prom and summer plans. For the varsity boys lacrosse team, however, the beginning of April means time to finish up the regular season and prepare for districts.
Throughout the season, this team has had some impressive wins and many close games. Their March 8 win over Calvary Christian Academy had spectators on the edges of their seats as a tight game that could have gone either team’s way. The Patriots pulled through and came out with a 8-7 win in overtime. Senior Jordan Buchan led the stat sheet that night with four points (one goal, three assists), followed closely by freshman Colin Moore (two goals), junior AJ Melvin (two goals) and senior Derek Whiteside (two assists). Junior Connor Kendall solidified the win with the overtime goal.
Another big win was March 5 over Cardinal Gibbons. The saying “defense wins championships” proved true in this game, as the defense played phenomenally – especially sophomore goalie Austin Arias, who easily earned player of the game with 18 saves. The stat sheet offensively consisted of freshman Nico Colasanti, sophomore Jaxson Kierl, Melvin, sophomore Jacob Rosenberg, Buchan, Kendall and Moore. This team effort earned them their 8-6 win over Gibbons.
The improvement between last year and this year is shown not only during gameplay but also in their records. At this point last year, the boys held a 3-4 record, a win rate around 42%. This year, the boys are 7-6 as of April 1: a 54% win rate.
The boys take on the Western Wildcats as senior night April 3, during the last week of regular season. Next up, the team enters districts in hopes of earning the title of 1AD14 district champions.
While playing against Western High School, the team was able to keep the ball in their offensive end for almost an entire quarter. (Photo/Zoe Horwitz)
