Words: Giana Han
On May 12, the Eagles started the third round in the lacrosse play offs against Glenelg.
In the first game of the season, Centennial had beaten Glenelg in a huge upset, ending the Gladiators win streak that had lasted years. Both teams had something to prove this game, but after the first two periods, it looked like Glenelg wanted the win more.
The Eagles won the first face off when Quinn Western picked up the ball and ran it down the field. After 1:10 had elapsed, John Kolp found Sam Clay who put the ball in the net for the first goal of the game. From there, the game unraveled as the Gladiators scored three successive goals in the first period, and then another two in the second.
Shortly into the third period, lightning lit the sky, delaying the game half an hour, but the lightning storm continued and they rescheduled the game for the next day.
The Eagles and the Gladiators stepped onto the field one day later to play the last two periods of the game with the score starting with Glenelg up 5-1.
Over the course of the third period, the Gladiators not only scored four more goals, but held the Eagles to their score of one, sending the game into the fourth with Glenelg ahead 9-1.
The gap looked insurmountable, but the Eagles were determined to make a game out of it. 1:25 into the fourth period, Andrew Gavlin scored the Eagle’s first goal of the day and second goal of the game. One minute, eleven seconds later Dean Fochios, assisted by Gavlin, scored a third goal, tripling the Eagles’ score in less than three minutes.
The Eagles dominated the field for the next few minutes, keeping the ball in their possession for the majority of the time, although their shots kept going wide. With 4:22 left, Western scored a goal, and then Gavlin scored his second. The Eagles had cut Glenelg’s lead in half in less than a quarter.
Western then went on to score two more goals (three for the game), bringing the score to 9-7 with about a minute left. The win did not seem so out of reach, but Glenelg’s goalie was able to stop the rest of the Eagles’ shots before they turned it over, and the Gladiators were able to run down the clock while still maintaining their two point lead.
This was the last game for the Eagles, but they made an impressive showing in the fourth quarter. From here, seniors Chase Conley, Gavlin, John Kolp, and Western will be moving on to play lacrosse in college next year. The rest of the team will be waiting for the next season to come around next spring.
