AHS boys lacrosse came into the Patriot District tournament with an impressive 11-1 record only to secure their 12th victory over the T.C. Williams Titans and a spot in the Northern Region playoffs. The dramatic victory ended with the final score of 15-5. “It was a great way to start our playoff run”, said junior attackmen Nick Lalande. “Hopefully we’ll continue our success,” he said. Lalande had two goals on the night.
Going into the loss, T.C. Williams had a 4-8 record and was the 6th seeded team. AHS entered as the 3rd seed and the Atoms will now go on to face the toughest competition in the district the West Springfield Spartans. The Spartans dealt AHS their only regular season loss this year on April 8th with a score of 8-5. “I’m excited to get a chance to get some revenge on West Springfield. They’re our rival right now, so a win would be sweet.” said sophomore midfielder Alec Villafana.
“If we play our best we have a good shot at having a good playoff run,” said senior Murat Gokturk. Gokturk was named 1st team all- Patriot District along with juniors Nathan Miller and Andy Craig and sophomore Ryan Miller. This strong showing of AHS lacrosse players was followed up by Peter Hagen and Stephen Craig making 2nd team all Patriot District. Honorable Mention honors were given to Bob Stevens and Travis Briggs. “It was a real honor to be named to 1st team. I was excited when I heard because, I had worked hard all season for it.” said Andy Craig.
Boys lacrosse will now try to win their second Patriot District title in three years. The feat would settle the score with the Spartans who defeated AHS in the district finals last year.
In recent news, a University of Virginia boys lacrosse player killed a women in her apartment. The attack has raised questions about whether lacrosse players have a feeling of entitlement.
Head Coach Bill Maglisceau was interviewed by NBC news before the T.C. Williams District playoff game concerning the culture of lacrosse players. It is a common misconception that players of lacrosse experience a sense of entitlement due to their wealthy backgrounds. AHS serves to prove the stereotype wrong with the majority of our team being from middle class families. “People think that there may be some sense of entitlement, but once you become part of lacrosse, whether your a coach, player, or parent you see what a great community it is,” said Maglisceau.
