The varsity boys lacrosse team defeated the Hillsdale Knights 14–1 on their senior night Tuesday, May 7, securing a CCS Division III qualification and a first-place finish in the Peninsula League.
Before the game started, seniors Serdinc Engez, Tayen Ganesen, Martin Koinov, Weston Muscarella, Carter Mosley, Dacari Newman, Jeronimo Sepulveda Sagaseta, Kameron Smith, Ricardo Vazquez and Gavin Wu were honored in a senior night ceremony. Underclassmen formed a tunnel of raised lacrosse sticks for the seniors to run through before they celebrated with friends and family.
Following the ceremony, the Eagles got off to a slow offensive start, ending the first quarter with a narrow 1–0 lead. The Eagles maintained their lead, heightening the score gap to 5–1 by halftime, ultimately claiming a 14–1 victory.
Senior co-captain Weston Muscarella said the team’s chemistry played a major role in the season’s overall success.
“Our team has been playing as a whole,” Weston said. “We really come together when it’s game time and we’re always hyping each other up.”
After previously losing 6–8 to Hillsdale on March 17, the final score highlighted the team’s turnaround since the start of the season. While the season opened with three consecutive losses, the Eagles rebounded to finish 8–2 in the league. Assistant coach Chris Agbanusi said that the rough start ultimately helped the team improve throughout the season.
“The first losses were a good wake-up call,” Agbanusi said. “We realized we needed to change as a team, and ended up following with a win streak.”
This season also marked a transition year for the program after several seniors graduated last spring. Despite the roster changes, players said the team grew closer as the season progressed.
“Everyone has only gotten more and more invested in the team,” senior Dacari Newman said. “It really showed towards the end of the season.”
Junior Daniel Persky said the team’s energy shifted significantly in the final games of the season, especially.
“Everyone was excited about the prospect of winning the league, and today we came out and sealed the deal,” Daniel said.
The Eagles closed their season Saturday with a 5–3 CCS Division III first-round loss to the Palo Alto Vikings, ending the year with an overall record of 9–6 and their first Peninsula League championship in recent years.
