On Tuesday, March 16, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School men’s varsity lacrosse played at home against the Boca Raton Bobcats. 

Coming off of a loss against Belen Jesuit High School the week prior, the Eagles sought to bounce back with a win at home and improve their 5-3 record. 

After starting off the season well, the Eagles had declined in their performances and faced another difficult challenge with the  Bobcats, whose record is 4-2, at the start of Tuesday’s game.

Once the first whistle was blown, both teams came out with high intensity, trying to gain the first goal of the game.  After a few minutes, the Eagles attacker Quinn Kelly (24) cut through the defense and put in a goal early in the first quarter. 

After a quick turnaround from the Bobcats to tie the game at 1-1, the two teams traded goals throughout the first quarter and led to a tied score of 3-3 after a goal from attacker Ty Stevens (31). 

The second quarter changed the pace of the game, as the Eagles were much more defensive because the Bobcats held possession of the ball for a majority of the time. This led to many counter-attacks by the Bobcats and two goals eventually being scored on the Eagles net.

“Their attack man we’re really quick with the transitions and just outworked our defense,” defender Michael Nason (13) said.

The second quarter was a struggle for the Eagles on offense, and they failed to generate any chances before halftime.

The score was 5-3 in favor of the Bobcats and began to look as if there would be a repeat of previous losses for the Eagles by the time the second quarter ended.

Over the past two weeks, the Eagles’ defense faced a loss of momentum, mostly when they entered into the second half of their games. However, this time around, the Eagles’ defense went into the second half. with a lot to change against the Bobcats.

“What’s gone wrong on defense is our unity so we have to get more in sync, we have to be a cohesive machine,” defender Matthew Burris (21) said.

The third quarter followed the trend of the two teams playing a very balanced game, where neither team had a definitive advantage. 

After attacker Austin Horwitz (29) created another goal for the team, the score sat at 6-5 and the Eagles continued to press forward for the game-tying goal.

Boca Raton’s defenders avoided the possibility of a close game by standing strong and saving several shots, giving the Bobcat’s attackers a chance to hold the ball on Eagles half of the field. 

There were too many chances for the Eagles to defend, and the Bobcats scored three goals in quick succession to leave a large 9-5 deficit for the Eagles going into the fourth quarter. 

“We have to improve through practice and holding teammates and myself accountable as captain,” Burris said.

The fourth quarter followed the same pattern, as the Bobcats scored another two goals to seal defeat from the Eagles. Goals from attackers Darren Edebaum (8) and Preston Gerena (7) were not enough to spark a comeback for the Eagles and the game ended at a score of 11-7.

With their second consecutive loss, the Eagles look to come back and change their fortunes with only six games remaining before the playoffs begin.

The Eagles play their next match at home against American Heritage on Tuesday, April 6, at 5 p.m.