On April 24, the Aragon boys lacrosse team lost to the Los Altos Eagles 13-1, despite a solid first-half performance that saw the Dons’ stubborn defense frustrate a technically superior Los Altos side.
While most teams would interpret this result as a major drawback, the Dons, in a state of rebuilding, reflected on the game as a demonstration of their vast improvement from the start of the season.
“This game was really good for the team,” said junior and defensive captain Justin Pita. “[One] thing that contributed to that idea was both the individual and also the team growth that occurred during the game and after it.”
Aragon remains quite a long way from reaching the level of teams like Los Altos, but they have had plenty of positives to focus on, primarily with the rapid development of their fresh batch of newcomers.
“These new kids that are coming in, [it doesn’t matter] whether or not they know a lot about the sport, they’re athletic,” Pita said. “They’re quick, they’re strong and it helps a lot … I would say [the team rebuilding] is a matter of time. You can’t rush these things … It can be challenging but I’m impressed … to see how [these new players] have developed rather quickly.”
Some players attribute their success to a modified coaching system.
“The team is in a better state than last year,” said sophomore and midfielder Sam Choslovsky. “We have [valuable] new coaches … who have a good idea of what they’re planning on doing, and they’ve got a good setup.”
While the Dons were under no real pressure to win, they had a determination to bounce back and redeem themselves after a tough loss at Hillsdale a few days prior. Even as massive underdogs, the team still went in with high standards, anticipating a gritty, dynamic match.
“Obviously, expectations were always going to be high,” Pita said. “We walked into [the] game knowing there was going to be a fight … We did have a plan to go in and be a little bit more experimental in the sense of trying out people at new positions, especially [because] we were limited on numbers.”
From the very start, it seemed that the Dons’ improving team chemistry had taken their defensive ability another step forward.
“We definitely … communicated [better] when people were cutting in … to shoot,” Pita said. “One of the bigger problems that we struggled with at the start of the season was communication … But [recently], we’ve been talking a lot more, people know what to say, and it’s … really helping the team.”
Aragon conceded four unanswered goals in the first half, but their persistent perimeter defense, along with crucial saves from junior and goalkeeper Santiago Corona, prevented many goals from Los Altos.
However, it was during the second half that the Dons’ structure and gameplan began to unravel. By the end of it, exhaustion had dealt its damage on the Dons, while Los Altos tucked away nine more goals to cap off their comprehensive 13-1 victory.
“Our defense was kind of a matter of how long we could last,” Pita said. “We were pretty solid in that first half … but what it comes down to is, after so many rounds of defense, we just get tired, … especially when a lot of our defensive players were injured … I am [still] proud of them for playing through it and being strong.”
Despite the disappointing defeat, the Dons found consolation in their singular goal, scored by Choslovsky at the end of a brilliant solo run through multiple defenders.
“I see a great future ahead of us, especially because this is one of the hardest teams in the league, … and as it was my first ever goal, I view this as a big success for myself,” Choslovsky said. “We also did better than our last game against the same team.”
Having previously gone two full years without a win, the boys lacrosse program has been enjoying the full effects of their team rebuild. They won four games this season and have good reason to expect a future of even greater success.
“All I can really say is, I’m probably the most excited I’ve been about this program in a long time,” Pita said. “At the end of the last season, we didn’t even know if there was going to be a team. But with the progression we’ve made this season, I really believe in this program’s future, and I’m really excited to see how much further we can push it.”
