The boys lacrosse team played Sequoia during their senior night last Thursday, May 8, entering with high energy and hopes. Despite the early momentum, the Wildcats fell 5-11 to Sequoia
The boys lacrosse senior night celebrated nine seniors: Liam Handley, Massimo Artale, Aiden Farmer, Lawrence Yauch, Luke Curran, Miguel Zacarias, Christian Woo, Joseph Johnson and Sebastian Mercado.
The Wildcats are ranked fourth in their respective division, and last time they played Sequoia, they beat the team 10-2. The night started with a spark from Woodside’s Liam Handley who scored within the first 30 seconds. But within the first minute, two early Sequoia injuries occurred.
After two minutes, both teams had received yellow cards and an injury set the tone for a fought-out quarter. The physical style of Sequoia forced Woodside to be on defense but the freshman goalie, Julien Lara, helped the Wildcats stay firm. With 3 minutes, 49 seconds left in the first quarter, senior midfielder Christian Woo fired a shot, making it 2-1 Woodside.
“I like scoring. It’s fun,” Woo said after the game. “It was a blast.”
Sequoia, however, did not back down quietly, tying the score with a buzzer-beater to end the quarter at 2-2.
The second quarter was a back and forth battle with Sequoia, gaining the edge with more possessions. They scored early in the quarter making it 3-2. Despite the early shot by Sequoia, Lara made three save attempts back to back with Woodside struggling to convert from the defensive stops. With one minute remaining, Sequoia scored, making it 4-2
The third quarter shifted in Sequoia’s favor, taking control of the face-off and scoring three straight goals to extend their lead 7-2 before Woodside could score again. Despite the defensive strategies by Woodside with double teams and checks, the Ravens offense broke through, closing the third quarter at 8-3 with one second left on the clock.
In the final quarter, junior Liam Carver scored early to bring back energy in the game, making it 8-4. Yet another injury on Sequoia’s side paused the action before Sequoia scored three more times. Handley scored another goal at 4 minutes 9 seconds left in the quarter to make it 11-5.
While the scoreboard may not have reflected it, the night was more than just the score, it was a night for the seniors.
“I was excited to play Sequoia,” Woo said. “We had high hopes of winning, but I was just happy to play my last game and have fun.”
Woo reflected on his time from all three years of experience being on the team. Despite the loss, the night was a celebration of growth, resilience and a farewell for the Woodside senior class whose leadership carried through the season.
“I learned to work with other people, especially when you have teammates that might be a little hot-headed,” Woo said. “We try to help them and guide them towards success.”
