The boys varsity lacrosse team defeated the Wayland Warriors 7-2 on Saturday, March 28 at Downes Field, starting the new season 1-0.
The Brookline Warriors came out the gates firing, and within minutes senior and captain James Carr scored the first goal. Moments later the Brookline Warriors scored again with a goal from sophomore Leo Torres.
According to head coach Dan Gardner, his offense’s ability to seize control of the game right away was key.
“Our offense set the tone and pace of the game, which is huge,” Gardner said. “We were able to control the scoreboard and control the clock just by really good possessions, not settling for bad shots, not settling for forcing the case.”
Alongside Carr, senior and captain Manny Tolkoff had an impressive showing, finishing with a goal and three assists. Tolkoff attributed his ability to assist his teammates to the training he put in throughout the offseason.
“I’ve been working on my vision throughout the offseason and beginning of the season. I had a lot more assisting goals today,” Tolkoff said. “That’s how we run our offense; it only works because we all know where everyone’s going to be and everyone’s strengths.”
On the defensive side, in his varsity debut, junior goalie Malcom Arnold played nearly the entirety of the game, only allowing a single goal. According to Arnold, the team was fueled by last year’s disappointing season.
“Last year we started 0-9. So coming into this, we were all like, ‘It is now or never,’” Arnold said. “So a win like this really gives us hope. It’s going to be a great season.”
Arnold attributed his optimism to his team’s chemistry, something that was on full display throughout their first game.
“It’s breakfast at Eagles, it’s hanging out at boys’ houses, it’s the Saturday night late talks. It comes together and suddenly we know where each other is without even having to look. We just feel it,” Arnold said.
The Warriors will try to keep the momentum going, as their next matchup will be a challenging one on the road against the Natick Redhawks on Tuesday, March 31. According to Gardner, the win today gives his team immense confidence going forward.
“Now the kids know that they can play against a good program and compete and ultimately win,” Gardner said. “We can play with anybody in our league and anybody on our schedule.”
While the results remain the focus, Tolkoff said he’ll be trying to soak up every last second spent with his teammates during his final season.
“I’m just trying to have a fun last season with my friends,” Tolkoff said. “Obviously, we want to be winning, but we win by having fun: that’s how the game works.”
