Two more wins were added to the boys varsity lacrosse team’s record this past weekend. On Friday, April 28, the boys went face-to-face with St. Xavier, a team from Ohio; on Sunday, April 30, the gentlemen went up against yet another Ohio team, Hudson High. 

Playing two games requires much focus and effort. Luckily for the guys, they came to play; they were ready and happy to secure more victories.

“On Friday, the energy was great,” said coach Andy Shira. “Everyone was excited and amped up. I think the rain played into that too, and we just embraced the weather, which is nothing new to us. Both teams play in the same conditions, so there’s no excuse but to embrace it. Sunday, we came out a bit flat. We scored 10 seconds into the game, but after that, the rest of the first quarter was flat defensively, and nobody wanted to play defense.”

Despite the slight fall within their defense, the boys pulled through. With such exhilaration and a good flow, the boys’ drive grew; the energy was transferred from the players’ minds to their bodies. The flow was unstoppable—several players performed amazingly. 

“Friday, Magnus had seven of our thirteen goals, and Crandall had a handful of big saves, especially late in the game. Crandall had a huge game again on Sunday with 20 saves. Nolan Hartl had two really good games overall, offensively, defensively, and in transition. He’s proving he’s one of the best two-way midfielders in the state of Michigan. Brady Drueke held one of the best, if not the best, players in the Midwest in check. He still had a couple of goals, but Brady did a heck of a job defending him. Without Brady’s defense, that kid could’ve put up five-plus goals Friday night.”

For the first game on Friday, as Shira said, senior midfielder Magnus Salmon led the pack with seven goals. Nolan Hartl really did have two good games, for the junior captain and midfielder, he had three goals. With one goal each, senior captain and attackman Jonah McConnell and senior midfielders Jake Koning and Collin Webb all added to the bunch. As for in the cage, senior captain and goalie Crandall Quinn had 13 saves.

Tallying up the game that ensued on Sunday, Jonah led in goals, bringing in five. Jake and Nolan both had three; Collin and Magnus both had one. Another senior captain and attackman, Graham Bennett, secured one goal of his own. And as Shira said, Crandall was a beast in goal, saving 20. The final score of the first game was 13-10; the second score was 15-13.

We can say that the guys had amazing plays and actions in every aspect of the game, but there were still situations that something could be improved. Crandall had a few words of his own. 

“I think we need to work on playing through an entire game with energy,” he said. “We did better this weekend in that aspect but still had our falls. We need to bring it for the whole game.”

The gentlemen will continue to bring their all, for their next game is against East Grand Rapids, one of their biggest enemies. This competition will require the boys to hone in and get done what needs to be done right away; they must be in tip-top shape. 

“For the next game, we play EGR on Tuesday, so we know that’ll be a high-intensity environment, and they’ll come out swinging,” said Shira. “We have to set the tone early on, take them out of the game, and keep our foot down. Regardless of records, scores of common opponents, etc., this is going to be a battle every time we step on the field with EGR. It’s one of the best rivalries in all of Michigan across all sports.”

The showdown of the century will take place on Tuesday, May 2. The face-off will occur at 7:00 p.m. in Pioneer’s stadium. Make sure to make it out! Best of luck, gentleman!