On Friday, May 15, the Golden Tornados Boys’ Lacrosse team made their way off the bus in two single-file lines, eager to get on the field and start warming up. The team was determined to get another win under their belt as they faced the Revere Patriots, the only other team they had been able to win against all season.
The boys kept their heads high and practiced hard before the game began. Revere’s seniors were introduced on the field for their senior night ceremony, and once it ended, Head Coach Jonathan Copithorne and Assistant Coach Joshua Andrews gave the Malden boys a pep talk to keep their determination up and play as a team.
The first quarter started off with Malden taking the lead after senior Caden Toomey scored their first goal within the first minute of the game. “Walking onto Revere’s field felt like an opportunity that we didn’t get to have for many of our other games,” Toomey stated.
This opportunity against Revere was felt by all as sophomore Chance Path reiterated, “walking onto the Revere field, I felt excited and ready to go straight off the bus, knowing that this would be a close game for us.” Earlier in the season, Malden played Revere in a home game and won with a final score of 4-3. This left the team feeling ready to push themselves and get another win against Revere.
As the first quarter progressed, Malden held up a tight defense and kept turning over possession of the ball. During the two-minute break, the boys were encouraged by Copithorne to keep playing as the team they’ve been playing as and went over some game plans.
Moving into the second quarter, Malden continued to hold their ground through strategic defensive plays, checking, and boxing out their opponents when the ball was down. Revere was able to hold possession for most of the two quarters, but could not find an opening against Malden’s defense. Even when Revere got a shot, senior goalie Paolo Lenares was able to save and block every shot whipped at him by their offense.
The game remained 1-0 in favor of Malden until halftime, with both teams fighting as hard as possible to get the ball in the net. During the halftime break, players from both teams were able to take a break after the constant back-and-forth they faced. They also used this time to motivate their players to keep pushing hard and not give up, no matter what the score was.
The third quarter then began, and the tension could be felt as both teams stepped back on the field and into their positions. This quarter was fierce, with Revere making the first shot on Malden’s goal, but Lenares was able to make the save and flip possession back onto Malden. This then led to Malden’s second goal, upping the score to 2-0 with only seven minutes left in the quarter.
Revere only used this goal as fuel as they scored their first goal 24 seconds after Malden’s second goal of the game, changing the score to 2-1, still in favor of Malden. Even with this goal, the Tornados did not let it get into their head and kept a strong attitude throughout the rest of the quarter. Sophomore Yahya Errafay resembled the team’s dedication as he scored his first goal ever with only a minute and a half left in the quarter, upping the score to 3-1 in favor of Malden.
With only 17 seconds left in the third quarter, Path ripped a shot at the net and scored Malden’s fourth goal for the game, upping the score to 4-1. The third quarter ended, and as the Tornados came together, the determination they stepped on the field with was still strong throughout the team. They had a huge lead going into the last quarter, but were reminded by both Copithorne and Andrews to keep playing hard and continue to have “everybody pulling in the same direction,” explained Copithorne
The Patriots did not let this lead stop them as the fourth quarter began, and the energy on the field shifted. Revere was able to score three goals within the last quarter of the game and tied the score. Players were whipping shots in hopes of getting another point for their team, but the game went into a four-minute overtime with a 4-4 score.
This tie was unexpected for the whole team as Path described how he was “at a loss for words because going into the 4th quarter, we were all sure it was going to be a win for us.” Copithorne also saw the shock felt by the team and added that “they responded with confidence. I don’t think at any point the team thought that they were going to lose.”
Toomey reiterated that sentiment, remaining certain in the team’s abilities going into overtime, “that we were the better team and just needed to play how we did in the first half.” Although some players felt “worried when we went into overtime, but I was ready to try my hardest and try and win,” explained Errafay.
As the teams reconvened before overtime began, motivation was still high on both sides of the field. They had both fought hard to get to this point, and neither of the teams were ready to give up. The two-minute break they received going into halftime gave the Tornados a chance to recharge their energy and set their sights on the ball to get this last win of the season. “I just wanted to do everything to win. It was a hard and gritty game, and in moments like that, the best thing to do is not think, just play,” junior and captain Dante Bell stated.
Overtime began, and both teams exploded for the ball after the draw. Within the first 35 seconds, Revere was able to score a goal, taking home the win and leaving Malden defeated after their strong start. “I can’t say I was frustrated when we walked away with the loss, I know that we played as good as we could’ve and while the outcome was disappointing, Revere just simply beat us,” explained Toomey. Despite the loss, the Tornados believe “this game will be a memory for everyone on the team and one to remember for when we play Revere again next year,” Path said.
“From the whistle, the whole team was invested…that’s the only time this year that I’ve seen everybody pulling together. So there’s not one specific moment. But at the end of the game, no one was dancing off the field. Everyone was hurt by the loss and pulled together, even on the way to the bus. There was nobody pointing fingers at anybody. It was losing as a team, getting beat as a team,” Copithorne remarked.
The Tornados took this loss to reflect on the game and their performance throughout as a team. “Paolo had a great game and was really starting to become a great goalie and leader on the team,” Bell mentioned. Toomey added, “When the team felt down, Paolo would come out with an amazing save to keep us in the game.”
Copithorne reflected on the players’ performances and mentioned that “Dante is always a standout leader…he just always has been. Chance Path made a lot of plays that went under the radar. Of course, he scored a goal, but he made a few plays that kept possession on our side that really could have turned the game in another direction, but he kept the momentum.”
In general, the team agreed they played their hardest throughout the entirety of the game and were able to play with their hearts on the field. “That was the most we played like a team all year. Even in the win against Revere, we didn’t play as well together as we did that game,” explained Copithorne.
Toomey believes this game revealed that even though a team “has a lot of new players, it doesn’t mean they’ll lack effort. We didn’t have much skill due to how few returners we had, although we almost won the game just from effort alone.”
“I think it showed how we can pull through in adversity and come together as a team. It was a heartbreaking loss, but in the end, it brought us together,” concluded Bell.
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