Cougars’ first-year lacrosse program kicks off season with 8-1
victory
Five minutes into the first quarter, it happened.
“I just ran around the goal, went for a side shot, got hit, was laying on the ground and everyone cheered,” Jeremy Botil said.
Botil’s shot and score from a tough angle goes down as the Christopher High Lacrosse team’s first goal in team history. And in front of an eager-to-learn crowd bunched up battling blustery conditions under blankets, the Cougars made a triumphant debut in an 8-1 victory over Watsonville at CHS on Wednesday.
“That was a great start, they put shots on goal and that’s what they needed to do,” head coach Tim Pirozzoli said. “They did well.”
Twenty-three players suited up for the co-ed team, which is considered a junior varsity squad as it develops through the inaugural season.
A mere four days removed from seeing their first field time at a jamboree featuring some of the more established varsity teams in the area, the Cougars used that initial get-your-feet-wet experience as a stepping stone in Wednesday’s tilt.
“That helped us out a lot to get some experience there,” Pirozzoli said. “Lacrosse is a physical game and they really stepped their physicality up today.”
As the game of Lacrosse plays out on a field 110 feet long and 60 feet wide, most find aspects of hockey, football and basketball intertwined in the sport.
Ten players take the field for both teams, including a goalie, three defenders, three midfielders or “middies” and three attackers. Middies are allowed to roam the field as they desire, while at least three players must stay in the defensive zone at all times or else an offside is called. Other penalties such as crosschecking and slashing are also enforced. The Cougars and Wildcatz played four 12-minute quarters, the second and third separated by a 10-minute halftime.
Pirozzoli said at times the offense will run set plays not unlike basketball which consist of screens and cuts to the goal.
“They’ve been really attentive in learning the game and applying all the rules to it,” Pirozzoli said of his players. “It’s nice having an (athletic director) and football coach who played lacrosse in college. They are able to support and they know what I need in order to get this done and that’s been immensely important in getting it up and running.”
The pursuit of the brand new venture began last year and when 31 kids showed up for the first day of practice earlier this year, the program has already hit the ground running – despite having just one player with prior experience, Nick Gulan.
Gulan played for the Morgan Hill Mavericks, a club team coached by Pirozzoli.
“It’s been really great so far,” said the sophomore attack, who tallied a second-quarter goal. “We are being more aggressive. You have to be aggressive in this game to win, making cuts, hit people. I love playing the game. I haven’t seen so much pride from the players for a sport. People in the future are definitely going to be talking about this.”
Following Botil’s goal, Brent Butler put the Cougars up 2-0 with five minutes to play in the first, taking a pass from Manny Avila and lacing a shot past Wildcatz’s goalie Israel Padilla. Although he gave up eight goals, Padilla did make 12 saves.
Brandon Kleder made it 3-0 in favor of the Cougars before Victor Jimenez provided Watsonville with its lone goal of the afternoon two minutes before the end of the first.
Alexander Bibaeff joined Gulan on the second-quarter score sheet as the Cougars climbed to a 5-1 lead. Avila posted the only goal of the third quarter and Patrick Mank punctuated the scoring with a pair of goals in the fourth.
“We actually set up the offense and that helped out a lot,” Avila said. “It’s new to us but it’s really fun to be out here with your friends.”
The Cougars will play a junior varsity schedule this season, but with the large turnout Pirozzoli expects to have a varsity and JV squad next season. CHS will play in either the Mission Trail Athletic League with existing teams Pacific Collegiate, Pacific Grove, Carmel, Stevenson, Watsonville and York, or the Santa Cruz Coast League, which is made up of Scotts Valley, Soquel, Harbor, Aptos and Santa Cruz.
“They’ve definitely learned the rules. If you know the rules you can apply your talents later on,” Pirozzoli said.
