Boys lacrosse defeats number one seed Mountain View 13-12

On April 6, the Dons (1-3 overall), who were underdogs, won against the previously undefeated Mountain View Spartans (5-2 overall) 13-12.

The game started with senior midfielder Xavier McKenzie helping the Dons gain possession. The Dons’ first possession resulted in a turnover, as did the Spartans’. However, the Dons were able to score the first goal of the game with a charge by senior attacker Max Lacasse.

Sloppy play by Mountain View resulted in four consecutive turnovers, allowing sophomore attack Harry Gurr to score the second goal for the Dons with an assist from McKenzie. This extended the Dons’ lead to 2-0, forcing the Spartans to take a timeout.

Mountain View came back strong after the timeout, but Lacasse flew by the Spartans’ defense to score again. The Dons’ defensive play led by senior defender Avery Misner stifled the Spartans in the first quarter, leading to a 5-0 lead for the Dons. This was an unusual situation for Mountain View, who was not used to being down big early, which was apparent in their increasingly chippy play throughout the rest of the game.

In the second quarter, the Spartans won the face-off and were able to score twice within the span of 1:30. They added in two more goals, tightening the game to a 5-4 lead for the Dons. The game was getting more physical, and both teams were feeling the intensity. The Dons managed to escape the rough second quarter with a 6-4 lead after a crucial goal by Lacasse.

The Dons dominated the beginning of the third quarter, with McKenzie scoring two goals and senior defender Evan Molloy adding another, putting the Dons up 9-4. With McKenzie and Lacasse leading the charge, the Dons continued to dominate.

Mountain View managed to score with seven minutes left in the third on a darting strike by their midfielder. They scored again with 6:30 on the clock by making a back cut by their right attacker. The Dons called a timeout as Mountain View rapidly decreased the once-substantial gap to three.

With momentum on their side, Mountain View forced a turnover in the Dons’ half that led to another Spartan goal, but McKenzie scored on a 40-yard run to put the Dons up 10-7. Mountain View scored again on a cut back and slicing shot with 3:35 remaining in the third.

For the whole second half, each team vied for the winning edge. One factor that helped the Dons navigate the ups and downs of the contest was the cool and collected demeanor of their head coach Evan King.

“Coach pushed in some vital timeouts whenever they were coming up,” McKenzie said. “When we were getting a little bit sloppy, he’d always pull us out and he’d go, ‘Boys, calm down.’ And I think it was always a perfect time.”

As they entered the fourth quarter up by a mere two goals, the Dons’ coaches emphasized defensive intensity and focus. Mountain View scored in the first minute of the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to one. They then scored again off a Dons’ turnover. However, the Dons responded with a score out of a midfield scrum by Lacasse. Mountain View called a timeout with 4:30 left in the fourth, and the Dons held onto a seemingly fading 11-10 lead. However, another costly turnover by an Aragon attacker killed a drive and sparked a scoring one for the Spartans, who scored on a shot by their midfielder.

McKenzie clapped back quickly with a 20-yard skipping shot to put the Dons up by one with just under 2 minutes left on the clock. The Dons then gave up the ball on their half again, and the Spartans capitalized with a powerful shot from just inside the 30-yard line on the right wing, tying the game with 50 seconds left.

With their last timeout, Coach King drew up a play to score. Despite the Dons winning the faceoff, a penalty gave their opponents the ball.

The Dons’ defense shone through in the final seconds as they managed to stop the Spartans with 10 seconds left and send the game to sudden death overtime. This meant that the first shot scored by either team was the winning one.

“When he came up with that ball, we knew it was game over”

Defensive play by Gurr almost forced a Spartan turnover in front of the goal, setting up a near game-winning shot, but the Spartans retained possession and called a quick timeout. At the resumption of play, McKenzie scooped the ball up out of a scrum about 20 yards away from the goal.

“When he came up with that ball we knew it was game over,” said assistant coach Malcolm Davis.

McKenzie scored on a 15-yard strike to seal the game for the Dons. It was an overtime thriller and a triumph for the Dons, who took down the league’s number-one seed, the Spartans.

The result meant a lot for the Dons as they proved to themselves that they are more than capable in their league. The win was the result of an all around team effort with multiple players scoring and coming up with key stops coupled with superior play at the goalkeeper and defensive positions.

“Keagan Vigil, our goalie, played the best game or practice that I’ve ever seen him play so far,” King said. “He played absolutely out of his mind saving stuff that he probably had no right to save. Additionally on defense, Avery Misner locked down [Mountain View’s] largest scoring threat.”

In total, five seniors scored for the Dons: McKenzie, senior attacker Cole Smith, senior midfielder Dylan Esqueda, Lacasse and Molloy.

“I’ve worked with these guys for all four years that they’ve been playing,” King said. “They know expectations for how we run the program. They can help lead practices and run drills. It’s really like having a dozen more coaches out there.”

The Dons, who are riding high on their victory, look to make a run for the Central Coast Section playoffs in their division. Their next home game will be against Priory (3-1 overall) on April 20 at 7 p.m.

*Records as of April 17