On Friday, March 15, the varsity boys lacrosse team won their second game of the season at home, triumphing over the Carmel Corsairs 19-2.
Morale ran high for the team going into the game, coming off an 18-2 win over the Rolling Meadows Mustangs on Wednesday, March 13.
Senior attackman Luke Kazian (5) said that the team felt great.
“Going into this game, we were pretty confident,” Kazian, who scored twice, said. “I think our ride was great, our attack ride, our defensive ride.”
In an opening similar to that of the game against Rolling Meadows, junior midfielder Sam Seth (1) won the game’s first face-off and made quick work of getting the ball downfield to senior attackman Tommy Gonnella (15), who scored the first goal of the game.
Seth said that his success in several face-offs for the team this season all stems from preparation.
“I just train and I try to give my all at every single face-off,” Seth said. “I give all my thanks to Coach Schaech and his program and what he does for me. Having him accessible to me is just amazing. I can’t thank him enough.”
The Wildcats took an 8-0 lead leaving the first quarter, with goals scored from six different players. These included three by Gonnella, one by senior long stick midfielder and Ohio Wesleyan University commit Luca DiCarlo (12), one by sophomore midfielder Logan Tayfel (2), one by senior attackman and North Central College commit Kyle Carollo (4), one by Kazian and one goal scored off a deflection by junior midfielder Max Gimbert (34).
In addition to the eight goals scored in the first quarter, there were assists by Carollo and senior midfielder Mason Marabella (11) and no shots let in by senior goalie Charlie Watson (00).
The second quarter, like its predecessor, saw multiple goals from the home team. Kazian and DiCarlo each scored their second goal of the game and freshman attackman Connor Luxon (24), who put up four goals in the game against Rolling Meadows, scored once.
Sophomore attackman Niko Messina (33) is in his second year on the varsity team and said that he has been playing lacrosse his entire life.
“Some of my earliest memories are with a stick in my hand,” Messina said. “I grew up in New Jersey. Lacrosse is kind of a religion out there. I just grew up loving the sport.”
Messina is one of six sophomores on the varsity team and one of three players who scored three times in the game against Carmel. Two of his goals came in the second quarter, which ended with the Wildcats up 13-0. With multiple saves by Watson, the opposing team remained scoreless.
“I’m just glad how clean we played,” Messina said. “We did not have a lot of penalties. We were able to beat them with good, clean lacrosse, a lot of fundamental play and I’m just really happy with the product the guys and I put out there tonight.”
With a running clock starting, Carmel junior Patrick Collins (21) scored once in the third quarter, ending the home team’s bid for a shutout.
The Wildcats still pulled further ahead with goals from Carollo and Seth, his first of the season.
“I thought the team worked very well tonight,” Seth said. “I thought we kind of kept our foot on the gas the whole time and just didn’t let off. I thought we had great ball movement, really put it all together in this game, all the work that we’ve put in up until this point. I’m very proud of the team.”
Luxon, Carollo, Messina and junior midfielder Jackson Obourn (13) all contributed goals in the fourth quarter, adding an additional four to Libertyville’s total. While Carmel freshman Noah Javier (16) scored once for the Corsairs, time expired with the Wildcats up 19-2.
Watson, who has been playing lacrosse for eight years, said that his goal for the season is to make it far and make it big.
“A bunch of us boys have been playing together for a while now,” Watson said. “We’re really senior heavy and we’ve got a lot of motivation and determination for this year. We just want to make a big run this year. It’s been a minute since we’ve made a playoff run and to do that with all the boys would be something special.”
The team will next play away against the Hinsdale Central Red Devils on Tuesday, March 19.