The NC varsity lacrosse Warriors (14-2) played against the McEachern High School varsity Indians (2-14) April 21 at home for their senior night. The event started with a ceremony honoring the graduating lacrosse seniors, but soon switched to a night full of impressive gameplay. With only one game left until the playoffs, the Warriors proved their superiority on the field against the Indians, winning 19-0.
“It was great to honor our seniors for our last home game, it was fun being out there. I think our team connected well after that win. We had a pretty good idea of what the outcome would be before we went into the game; we knew that if we stayed positive, we were going to win,” magnet sophomore goalie Cal Roche (19) said.
Before the commencement of the game, during the pre-game speech, head coach Kyle Van Kauwenberg (VK) reminded players that the match not only represents the senior night, it displays loyalty to the team. After this brilliant reminder, the Warriors started the game with intensity and purpose as senior midfielder Zach Afalla (3) scored the first and second goals of the night.
With a strong defense and impressive blocks from the Indian’s goalie during the first quarter, senior attacker and midfielder Sean Lineweaver (7), senior midfielder Steven Miller (13) and Afalla each managed to score, bringing in massive support from the Warriors’ student section. Although the Indian’s tried to throw off the varsity boys by yelling out Juliet to the Warriors’ Romeo play call, NC’s coaches encouraged passing and assisting goals between the players, leading senior attackman Andrew Lapierre (15) to score two additional goals at the end of the first quarter.
“Last night’s game was a good show of the brotherhood we got and the seniors we got working together. I remember our defense shutting them down and not allowing any goals. Going into every game, I have a mindset that we’re going to win, and coach VK always motivates us to try harder every day, day in and day out,” senior goalie Rashad Jefferson (6) said.
As the game continued, several students from the bleachers called out to Jefferson in support, screaming and cheering. The game continued, Miller scoring another goal and putting the game up 8-0. Another goal, scored by LaPierre, increased the game’s intensity as the referee called out a yellow flag to the Indians. Afterwards, Afalla, senior Jamauri Major (1) and Lineweaver all scored goals, stacking up the score 13-0 as the game stopped at halftime. The mid-game break included speeches supporting the seniors and the remaining team for the 2025-2026 season.
Jordan Gibert (35) scored the first goal of the second half, and the tension between the two teams grew almost palpable. As the Warriors kept scoring, the Indian’s coach grew frustrated, yelling out to his team. The game paused with a timeout, called out with four minutes left, after the final goal of the game in which sophomore attacker Noah Slonia (29) scored, concluding the night. With NC’s win of 19-0, the Warriors remained motivated and prepared for the next game against the River Ridge High School Knights (7-7).
