Eagles start strong to lead at the half but are shutout in the 3rd quarter; a combination of penalties and injuries result in a season-opening loss
The Eagles Men's LAX team traveled up the coast to Santa Margarita Catholic in Orange County for their first game of the 2024 season. Ready to build off a solid 2023 campaign where the team finished 5th overall in the county, there's a lot of excitement and anticipation for a team that fields no seniors, 17 juniors, 4 sophomores, and 9 freshmen.
SFC got the scoring started right away and outscored the host team in the first and second quarters to head into halftime, leading 7-4. Halftime proved to be the motivational break Santa Margarita needed as they came out strong on both ends of the field and held SFC scoreless while scraping back one goal to close the gap. Junior goalie George Adams made several outstanding saves to maintain an SFC lead heading into the 4th quarter.
The momentum stayed with the home team as they continued to press and dominate the ball offensively throughout the 4th quarter. The Eagles' defense held tough as much as possible, but ultimately, it wasn't enough, and four home team goals compared to one from the Eagles in the quarter resulted in an 8-9 loss.
A strong effort by Parker Guiltinan (Jr) led the team with four goals, 1 assist, and 2 ground balls. Magnus Falkiewicz (Jr) and Colby Rossettie (So) both scored 2 goals, and Matt McKewon (Jr) led the team with 2 caused turnovers (CTOs). Faceoff specialist Dylan Kelleher (Jr) dominated the first and third quarters, winning 6 of 6, and he finished the game strong with a 71% win percentage. George Adams (Jr) was a solid wall between the posts saving an incredible 15 of 24 shots on goal.
Despite the disappointing outcome, the stage is set for an exciting 2024 season. The team returns an experienced junior class – several of whom have been varsity starters since their freshman year. Last year’s 2nd team all-CIF, 1st-team all-Coastal League, and team defensive MVP Ben Wakeham, alongside 2nd-team all-Coastal League players Magnus Falkiewicz, 2023's offensive MVP (Midfield), Parker Guiltinan (Attack), and Dylan Kelleher (Face-Off), are fired up and ready to go. With key returning sophomore players, including first-team all-Coastal League attackman Colby Rossettie, and a strong freshman contingent, plus a couple of solid transfer players, the Men's LAX team has a unique opportunity to build an amazing team over the next two years and a fantastic foundation for the SFC lacrosse program for years to come! Go Eagles!
The Eagles travel for game 2 at San Marcos on Saturday, Mar. 2 at 7 pm; the first home game will be Mar. 11 vs. St. Johns (CO) at 5:30 pm – come on out and cheer on your Eagles!
#GoEagles