By ANISH KADAKUNTLA, junior

Through the ups and downs of the season, both the Boys and Girls Lacrosse
teams consistently maintained a fighting spirit after even the worst of setbacks. The squads finished with records of 4-11 and 4-12, respectively, yet they were always motivated to play harder in each and every game.

The high point of the Boys Lacrosse season came on May 10 in their game against Union City. Although the Hawks scored four goals in the second quarter, the game was undecided until the end of the final period. The Hawks fought to suppress a comeback and were ultimately victorious by a score of 5-4, their first win of the season. Both offensively and defensively, the game was the team’s best performance of the season up to that point.

The Lady Hawks Lacrosse team reached the height of their season on May 14 when they hosted Long Branch in the season’s final outing. It was a dominating performance as the Lady Hawks outscored Long Branch 10-2 in the first half. The game ended with an emotional 13-7 victory in which the seniors played their final game of lacrosse in a JP Stevens uniform. It was the perfect way to end the spring season.

Although both lacrosse teams faced their fair share of challenges this year, they kept their heads held high. The boys’ team worked continuously to overcome its offensive struggles. The team was shut down a total of six times and was never able to surpass the two goal mark in ten of its games this year. The Lady Hawks, on the other hand, were stronger when it came to scoring goals; however, there was room for improvement on the defensive end. Despite their frequent efforts to attack and score, the Lady Hawks stumbled with forcing stops and allowed the opposing team to make more than ten goals in just one game. These are areas of the game that the two squads look to address in the spring of next year by working hard during the off season and planning new strategies.

Though this season presented challenges and struggles for both teams, the players worked tirelessly to learn from their mistakes and improve with every game. Next year, both teams look to a brighter future and aspire to improve their style of play. As the JP Lacrosse program bids farewell to the seniors, the teams await the upcoming 2013 spring season as it looks forward to new successes and cherishable memories.