On Thurs., Feb. 18, the boys varsity lacrosse team faced off against Pine Crest High School at 6 p.m. at Cumber Stadium. It was the team’s fourth game of the season, where they aimed to bounce back at home from a 14-7 loss on the road at West Boca Community High School. The team entered the game with a 1-2 record, while Pine Crest entered with a 2-0 record.

To open the game, Pine Crest broke the seal early, scoring a goal on Matteo Swetsky (16) just 1:10 into the game. Pine Crest scored their second goal 29 seconds later, giving them a 2-0 lead early in the first quarter.

With this pair of early goals by the opposition, it seemed the team was in danger of falling behind quickly. However, midfielder Max Fliegel (18) cut the lead down to one after netting the team’s first goal of the game with eight minutes left.

“Despite scoring the goal, our performance was rough,” Fliegel said. “We know we are a better team and just need to execute better,”

Pine Crest did not miss a beat, retaliating with their third goal of the game with 6:51 left. Following a quick offensive chance by the team, Pine Crest quickly moved the ball down the field and scored another goal, making the score 1-4 halfway through the first quarter.

Pine Crest’s offensive onslaught did not stop there, as they scored three more goals by the end of the quarter. On a last second attack, the team nearly scored again to end the quarter on a high note, though the shot was saved. The team thus went into the second quarter losing by a score of 1-7.

Opening up the second quarter, the team needed a surge of offense if they wanted to stay in the game. Just one minute into the quarter, attackman Zaid Popen (43) pushed one past Pine Crest’s goalie, making the score 2-7. Pine Crest answered with a goal of their own, increasing their lead to 6 points once again.

Popen put up a solid performance, scoring three goals and being one of the few sparks on offense during the game. Popen executed on offense with speed and precision, which allowed him to score multiple times on a tough Pine Crest defense.

“My performance was efficient,” Popen said. “However, my priorities revolve around the entirety of the offense and their ability to work as a team.”

Just a minute later, Popen scored his second goal of the game, bringing it back within five points. However, this was the last bit of offensive action the team saw for the quarter.

“The offense was rolling for a bit and we had good opportunities on offense,” midfielder Noah Ozan (5) said.

After this goal, Pine Crest won the face off and scored off a quick attack all in seven seconds. By the halfway mark of the quarter, Pine Crest had scored two more goals and was leading by a score of 3-11. The team’s defense was unable to adapt to Pine Crest’s aggressive offensive strategy for the rest of the quarter, allowing three more goals and facing a 3-14 deficit at halftime.

Entering the second half, the team needed to gain some offensive momentum to begin a steep uphill battle. However, the third quarter proved to be all Pine Crest. Within the first four minutes of the quarter, Pine Crest tallied three more goals, making the score 3-17 with 8:10 left in the third quarter.

Despite some flashes of offense from the team, they were held scoreless for the entirety of the third quarter. Pine Crest maintained possession of the ball for the majority of the quarter, allowing them to burn clock as well as score two more goals as the quarter ended. This made the score 3-19 going into the fourth.

In the fourth quarter, the team showed one last spark as Popen scored his third goal of the game early on, putting the score at 4-19. Following this, Pine Crest attempted to play keep away from the team, running out the clock in the process. The team had a few more chances in the dying moments of the game, but were unable to capitalize. The game ended in a 4-19 defeat.

“Following the second half, the offense played as a confident team,” Popen said. “Making smart choices and creating room for the dodgers to capitalize off their dodges.”

It was a rough outing for the team, losing 4-19 and dropping to 1-3 on the season. The team will attempt to redeem themselves on the road during their next matchup against Olympic Heights High School on Mon., Feb. 23.