Eight players find the back of the net and the entire team gets playing time in 15-7 victory over the Carlsbad Lancers
It was another complete team effort for the SFC Men’s Varsity Lacrosse Team (2-0) as they took on Carlsbad (1-2) Tuesday afternoon at home. The Eagles controlled the game from the beginning led by Sophomore midfielder, Magnus Falkieiwicz, who got things going by scoring three goals in the first 10 minutes of play! Most importantly, the team committed just 3 time-based penalties, a significant improvement from their last outing.
Senior Captain, LSM Brett Koopman, continued his pattern of disrupting the opponent’s play and creating opportunities for the Eagles all over the field. His presence on the field truly elevates everyone’s game and he finished with 1 goal, 2 assists, 8 ground balls, and 1 caused turnover.
Sophomore Attack, Parker Guiltinan was again a huge physical presence, demonstrated by his stats with another hat trick, 5 ground balls, and 4 caused turnovers. Freshman Attack, Colby Rossettie had another big performance with 2 goals and 4 assists; he already looks well settled into the high school environment! Magnus Falkiewicz added another goal in the fourth quarter to end the game with 4 goals and 2 assists. However, stats alone don’t tell the whole story as Magnus’ on-field presence–managing the flow and pace of the game–helps the team settle and get positioned to capitalize on scoring opportunities. 3 other Midfielders contributed to the goal count: 2 by Tre Adcox, a smooth step-down goal from Senior Matthew Briggs, and 1 goal netted by Junior Josh Armbruster on the crease for his first goal for the 2023 season. Sophomore Will McGuinness completed the Eagles scoring tally with his first goal of the season. 15 goals by eight different players highlights the depth of the offense and demonstrates the team has multiple players that can step up and convert - exciting to think about as we get deeper into the season!
Supporting the offensive output, seniors Rex Maloni and Logan McClurken helped to control the flow of the game by keeping the ball on the offensive side of the field early on. Unfortunately, in a valiant effort to stay onside, Rex sustained an ankle injury before halftime so prayers for a swift recovery for him. Sophomore midfielder Matt MeKewon also saw significant time on the field and played a key role helping move the ball around while also contributing an assist. Sophomore FOGO Lucas Sit kept the Eagles in the mix with solid work at the midfield line winning nearly 50% of his faceoff opportunities. And, when he didn’t win, Lucas’ scrappy play enabled the wings and other players to get involved as well as get better positioned to defend.
SFC’s defense once again stood strong throughout the entire game as they limited the Lancers’ scoring opportunities and disrupted play all around. Senior Aaron Bolt along with Sophomores Ben Wakeham, Mikey Adcox, and Johnny Grimstad made sure their long poles were felt throughout. Sophomore SSDM, PJ Rogers, stuck to the Lancers offensive players like glue, ensuring his presence was felt as well! One of the highlights of the game was a fantastic sequence where Ben intercepted a pass, ran the ball up the field, and passed to Colby for a score – a caused turnover, a clear, and an assist all in one play, plus 6 ground balls and another CTO -- way to go, Ben! Sophomores Joe Miles and Brandon Ng took over in the 4th quarter and continued the strong defensive stand in their first varsity game.
Both Sophomore Goalies, George Adams, and Finlay Lenihan had strong performances. Taking the field in the first half, Finlay stopped 4 of 8 shots on goal and successfully cleared the ball 6 times. Stepping into goal in the second half, George stopped 13 of the 16 shots on goal, getting in front of several which were seemingly impossible to get to, and had 6 successful clears. Some big, exciting saves by both goalies!
Congrats to the entire team and coaches on a commanding second game; it was great to see every player getting out there and contributing! The Eagles travel to Pacific Ridge (0-0) on Friday afternoon at 4:00 pm; come out and support your team!