The girls lacrosse team defeated the Woodside Wildcats 12-8 on their senior night on Friday evening.
Before the game, the Bears celebrated their 12 seniors with posters, flower crowns, and leis. The seniors walked through a tunnel of players and supporters, flanked by friends and family, as the energetic crowd cheered them on.
“Seeing how many people who came out to support [us] was really special,” senior midfielder Mae Kunihiro said. “Not just for the ceremony, but for the game as well, the stands were full and loud and I think that really helped bring the energy and hyped up the team during the game.”
Woodside secured the first draw of the game, though M-A was quick to take possession. The Bears’ offense struggled to make headway against the Wildcats’ impressive defense, with an attempt from senior midfielder Auden Jones being shut down by the goalkeeper. Still, Jones recovered the ball, creating space for senior attacker Sabine Polly, whose shot bounced off the edge of the goal post.
With eight minutes left in the quarter, the Wildcats scored the first goal of the game. They maintained this control, winning the draw and scoring immediately to bring the tally to 2-0.
The two teams continued to battle it out, trading possession with a series of steals. An impressive recovery by junior attacker Lucy Gostyla put the Bears back on offense, and sophomore midfielder Jane Pence converted on this, firing the ball past Woodside’s goalkeeper for M-A’s first goal.
With three minutes left, M-A won the draw for the first time and secured their second point with the continued help of Pence’s effective aim and impressive offensive skills. Still, a goal from the Wildcats brought the score to 4-2 as the clock buzzed, signaling the end of the quarter.
Undeterred by the gap on the scoreboard, the Bears came back to the second quarter with renewed energy. After winning the draw, Kunihiro passed the ball to Pence, who scored her third goal. Senior attacker Bailee Van Loben Sels created space for Kunihiro to score twice, earning M-A their first lead of the night, 5-4.
Unfortunately, the Bears continued to struggle to gain possession off the draw, allowing Woodside to score twice. Junior attacker Iliana Narvaez slid a hit past the Wildcats’ goalkeeper, scoring a hard-fought point, and Kunihiro fired a powerful shot, but narrowly missed. The half ended with a tie of 6-6.
The Bears started the second half vigorously, with Gostyla immediately slinging the ball into the net three minutes into the quarter.
Woodside circled the crease and secured another goal with five minutes on the clock, 7-7, despite disputes over the legality of the goal prompting minor conflict between the players. Impressive defense from senior defender Molly Gray and junior goalkeeper Stella Mattsson prevented Woodside from furthering their lead, though not before Woodside managed one more point.
After strategizing in a brief timeout, M-A came back with an unstoppable offense. Kunihiro and Van Loben Sels’ collaboration was impeccable, with an assist from Van Loben Sels helping Kunihiro nail a shot. Immediately after, Gostyla and junior midfielder Aryn Roodman utilized their speed and strategic skills to add two more goals, granting the Bears a 12-7 lead.
“That [fourth] quarter was incredibly fun because everyone was playing for each other and pushing for the win, especially the seniors. It was the best lacrosse I’ve seen our team play,” Kunihiro said.
Woodside managed to slide a final goal in, but by that point, the Bears’ lead was too substantial to overcome. A three-second countdown by the crowd marked the end of the game and the Bears’ triumph with a final score of 12-9.
The Bears will play their first CCS game on May 12.
