By creating meaningful bonds and working towards the same goal throughout the season, the boys lacrosse team intends to foster dedication and intensity while keeping strong connections between teammates.
To create a family bond on the lacrosse teams, the upperclassmen push themselves to put in the work to make the freshmen feel welcome.
According to Coach Josh Korpics, the integration for incoming freshmen was already established from the previous year.
“We expect upperclassmen to be warm and welcoming, to treat them kindly and take them under their wing,” Korpics said.
According to freshman Ty Sauerwald, “the seniors are very nice,” creating a “welcoming environment.”
“They’re supportive to all the younger guys on the team and have been very helpful,” Sauerwald said.
For Korpics, he knows it can be hard to stay motivated during a hard game.
He stays involved by focusing on “getting ready for the next play.”
“Keeping the players motivated is just continuously telling them to keep their chin up and reminding them we’re still in this game,” Korpics said.
Like many teams, at the start of the game, there is a huddle with a chant.
According to senior Oliver Brewer, their motto is to “play fast, play hard, play aggressive and play like a champion.”
Going into his last season of high school lacrosse, Brewer has some goals in mind, both personal and overall goals as a team.
“Win as a team, win as a family,” Brewer said.
Brewer believes that they “have a young team this year” which was creating some doubt in the rankings, but feels he and the team are ready.
According to Sauerwald, many teams have challenges they strive to overcome. One challenge the team overcame this season was a cold game.
“It was freezing, about twenty degrees, snowing and we started off kind of slow, so the coach had to fire us up at half-time. We ended up coming back out there and it was a good game,” Sauerwald said.
According to Saurwald, when dealing with the pressure of the sport, positivity is important.
“I go into every game with a positive mindset. I have come to realize it is just a sport, just a game, we’re all here to have fun,” Saurwald said.
According to Korpics, the coaches prepare their players for different game situations and different opponents by “treating every team equally” and “playing to their ability.”
During each game, Korpics believes the coaches focus on “telling the players to do what we’ve taught them during practice, and we also let them know which teams may be a little harder of a battle.”
For Korpics, the expectation for each player on either team is “to come focused, be ready to learn, maintain a level of discipline and be a player who wants to get better at the sport.”
Brewer is focused on putting in the work, not just during the season, but during the off-season as well.
“I like the off-season work we put in as a team, it makes us better. When other teams might be taking time off, we put in the work,” said Brewer.
Senior night is the night Sauerwald, Brewer and Korpics are all looking forward to.
They are ready to have a comeback and play Pennridge at home for senior night.
“I am looking forward to playing Pennridge at home, it is our last game of the season, and it is senior night,” Saurwald said.
Korpics said that the Pennridge game is the one he is most excited about because they are “rivals.”
Last year, boys lacrosse lost to Pennridge during their senior night game, but Brewer is ready for their senior night game. With it being Brewer’s last high school season, he wants to “go out and beat Pennridge” as a “revenge game.”