Choate’s Varsity Lacrosse team triumphs over Lawrenceville in a thrilling season opener.
On April 2, a dark and rainy Saturday, the Choate Boys’ Lacrosse team gathered to take on the Lawrenceville Big Red in their home opener. Tons of avid Boars fans braved the weather and waited in anticipation for the game to start.
With Jack Fenton ’18 winning the first faceoff of the season, the game was underway. A quick goal from Bobby Goggin ’17 gave Choate a 1-0 lead, demonstrating the ferocity and skill that the Boars would exhibit throughout the game.
Both teams put many shots on net during the first half. After a thrilling thirty minutes, the scoreboard displayed a 5-5 tie, with two of the five Choate goals coming from Goggin.
The teams continued to trade the lead until the final minutes, with Lawrenceville unwilling to compromise its thus far undefeated season and Choate fighting relentlessly to win its first game. With just two minutes left in play, the game was tied 10-10. However, by the time another minute passed, the Wild Boars had scored two more quick goals, making the score 12-10 in Choate’s favor.
Now, Lawrenceville was pressured to utilize what little time they had left to at least tie the game. The final minute consisted of multiple Lawrenceville shots and opportunities to tie the game. Luckily, goalie George Uppgren ’17 held down the fort, not allowing a single shot to get past him. Because of this, Choate held onto its two-goal lead and triumphed over Lawrenceville, 12-10.
The clear standouts of the day were Tyler Burns ’16, who put up an exceptional performance as a midfielder, Nick McCall ’17, who led the team with three goals, and Uppgren, who came in clutch for the team by stopping many critical shots toward the end of the game.
The team was ecstatic to have won their nail-biting season opener. “Everyone was so excited to finally get to play, and we were all pumped to have a lot of fans watch,” said Albie Austin ’16. Nick McCall ’17 added, “It was an unreal sensation to get that win at home.” Uppgren said, “Team members on the bench actually played an incredible role in our win. People who were on the other side of campus said that they could hear them cheering for us during the game.”
The team has a solid mix of newcomers and returners this year. Goggin said, “We have a great brotherhood this year. The new players are my brothers just like the returners.” Austin added, “All of the new players have stepped up in practices and games. They are easily becoming a part of the team and establishing their roles. It’s great to see how all of us have come together to make such a great team environment.”
Make sure to support the boys’ varsity lacrosse team in what’s expected to be a spectacular season.
