The NC varsity boys’ lacrosse team (8-7) hosted their penultimate game on April 19, and their victories now outweigh their defeats. Breaking away from their losing streak, the Warriors plan to use their effort to win against the River Ridge Knights (3-13) to close out the season.

Entering the first quarter, senior midfielder Brandon Sengvixay (9) won the face-off and started off the game strong. The Warrior’s face-off victory aided them in winning the game’s first point with the help of junior midfielder Jonathan Godfrey (7) within the game’s first minutes. Junior attack Ayden Miller (5) and senior attack Braden Coats (15) worked together to score twice more before wrapping up the quarter with a scoreline of 3-0.

“When our team clicks, we are on the same page and we work well together on the field. I believe last night we all had the goal in mind of beating these guys and the effort showed on the field. Also, last year they upset us, and I think we all wanted revenge to make up for our loss,” Godfrey said.

The Knights managed to post their first point in the second quarter which pressured the Warriors to maintain their lead. Despite the Knight’s various attempts to score again, junior goalies Jonathan Castro (8) sailed through the game’s first half. Fortunately for the Warriors, Miller scored on the Knights before the quarter’s ending and led the team to halftime with a score of 4-1. 

“Defense played really good Tuesday. We played fundamentally and were always communicating. The team itself was moving the ball really well and the shots’ placements looked good,” Castro said.

Preparing to maintain their three-point lead, the Warriors motivated each other as they entered the second half. The desire for revenge pushed the Warrior’s four team captains to keep their team relaxed and focus on preserving their forefront against the Knights. As the coaches and parents screamed from the sidelines, the Warriors scored twice more before heading into the game’s last quarter.

Knowing Tuesday stood near the season’s end, the Warriors played to the best of their ability in the last minutes of the game. The Warriors racked up three more points before the game’s end and maintained their upper hand. Within the game’s final minutes the Knights scored the final point, ending the game with a box score of 9-2. The upperclassmen on the team recognized the match’s importance and celebrated the game’s ending. As the season concludes, the juniors on the team prepare for the next season and will reflect on the match to improve their skills. The team will lose several seniors this year, but still plan to stand out next season. 

“[During my] senior year I want to work hard and keep playing lacrosse to my best ability. This year is going to help me improve for next year because we are losing seniors that put in a lot of work for this season. We went through that this year when we lost about 15 seniors and our whole starting line,” Castro said.