On Thursday, April 30, the boys varsity lacrosse team defeated San Marin in a dominant fashion, outscoring them 18-3 and securing a spot in the MCAL (Marin County Athletic League) championship.
The Giants had beaten San Marin 14-7 the prior week, so both teams came in with a clear picture of what to expect. Head coach Neil Butterfield reflected on the team’s approach.
“We all kinda knew what the game plan for both teams was going to be,” Butterfield said. “But we did try and throw in some wrinkles.”
A big part of the Giants’ game plan heading into the game was neutralizing San Marin’s top threats.
“They have two really good seniors that we did a good job of clamping down on with our top two defensemen, Chuck [Charlie] Anderson and Ash Weir,” Butterfield said.
The tone was set almost immediately, as the Giants scored their first goal just 45 seconds into the game. They then scored another five, totaling six goals in the first six minutes of the game.
“I don’t think they touched the ball until we had four or five or six goals on the board,” Butterfield said.
Butterfield credits the win to a relentless pace and effort, especially at the faceoff position.
“Charlie Roberts played really well for us facing off,” Butterfield said. “The way that our attack rides, fighting for the ball back, that helps us get easy goals and kind of break their spirits early.”
Even with their massive lead, the team never let up and continued to play well and put out a strong effort.
“We could be up 10 or down 10 and it doesn’t matter,” Butterfield said. “The expectation is that we play our game to the best of our ability for 48 minutes.”
Team captain Dylan Poncet echoed that message when asked how to keep his teammates focused when the margin is so great.
“The job’s not done yet,” Poncet said. “We still have games ahead of us.”
Poncet also highlighted the impact of his teammate Spencer Springfield.
“He made a lot of simple plays, a lot of smart plays, and gave it his all the whole game,” Poncet said.
The Giants now look ahead to their MCAL championship game against Tam on Saturday at 7 p.m., which will be played at Marin Catholic.
