By Alex Leichenger
An 8-5 victory against Crespi Saturday lifted boysâ lacrosse to a 3-2 record. The Wolverines lost their first two games of the season to Palos Verdes and Loyola, respectively. They defeated Brentwood March 13 and routed Viewpoint 17-0 March 16.
Head Coach Mark Haddad blamed the loss to Loyola on frequent turnovers. The Wolverines had a 4-0 lead after the first quarter, but were held scoreless for the next two quarters as the Cubs rallied.
Midfielder Conor OâToole â10 said the teamâs offense has improved with better passing in the three wins, especially against Crespi.
“We moved the ball very well and let the offense do what it is made to do, and we scored off of set situations,” OâToole said.
Haddad attributed the win to exceptional goalkeeper play by Barrett Meister â10 and an efficient 44 percent conversion rate on shots on goal.
The squad is led by OâToole, goalkeeper Barrett Meister â10, and attackman Cory Wizenberg â11. Wizenberg notched a career-high nine points against Viewpoint and leads the team with 14 goals.
Meister and OâToole were named “Elite 25” high school players in the Los Angeles area by Westside Lacrosse prior to the season.
The team beat Chaminade 8-7 last night at Ted Slavin Field. They will play four non-league games before facing Brentwood and Loyola in mid-April rematches.
OâToole said he and the team are eager to avenge the Loyola loss, a game “we should have won.”
“I think that we have enough depth and enough character on our team that kids can turn it on,” Haddad said. The coach specifically mentioned midfielders Alex Herrarte â10, David Kinrich â11, Justin Shabahang â12, and attackman Will Oliver â11 as players with high potential.
The team has excellent senior leadership and experience, according to OâToole, but he said players tend to struggle with selfishness at times. Ensuring fluid ball movement and picking up ground balls in the defensive zone quicker are key areas of improvement, OâToole said.
