Boys lacrosse loses tight game to Culver City

After an intense game against the number one seed team in Ocean League, Culver City High School, the Samo boys’ lacrosse team lost 8-9 on Friday, April 15. This game brings Samo’s league record to 2-3, after beating Beverly Hills High School by 13 at home earlier this week. The game ended with an unfavorable result for the Vikings but the game was not poorly played, according to midfielder Nico Balderrama (’17).“The team played pretty well together,” Balderrama said. “We were always in competition with Culver City and never far behind them.”The team came out strong, winning the majority of face-offs which begins the game with two players fighting for a ball in the middle of the field. Though Culver City scored three goals within the first quarter while Samo’s score remained at zero, the team was able to bounce back in the ensuing minutes. In the second quarter, Samo bounced back by having control of the ball and tied the game, ending the first half with a score of 3-3. According to head coach Ben Keiser, the Vikings were able to play strong, albeit they made some mistakes.“They were very intense and played a very good game,” Coach Keiser said. “There were some missed assignments that allowed them to capitalize on some easy shots. We had some defensive breakdowns and our midfield defense was so-so but our offense played well and our clearing game was pretty strong."The intensity still lingered from the first half as the players took their positions for the second half. Samo won the face-off and made a beeline for the goal. The players ran back and forth endlessly trying to defend their goal and score against Culver.In the last five minutes, Samo tied the game with Culver City, 8-8, needing only one more goal to win the game. But they were unable to convert for a long period of time and with only two minutes left, Culver scored again. “The only thing that could have improved is that we could have shot our last shot faster than we did,” Balderrama said. The major improvement to be made, according to midfielder Bradley Hall (’17), is consistent, persistent effort throughout the entire game.“I think in the game on Friday, we showed improvement and it was a good stepping stone for the future,” Hall said. “I think the major thing we need to do is keep fighting from the start of the game to the end of the game.” Although it has been a rough start for the Vikings, the team hopes to make a comeback in the standings in the remaining regular season games, according to midfielder Griffin James (’18).