By Juan Carlos Ramirez ’18
THE ROUNDUP
Varsity lacrosse assistant coach Mr. Zach Widbin said that this year’s team will have a leadership aspect that has been different from other years.
“In the weight room, coach [Mr. Joe] Denk has mentioned several times to coach Beau Pich and I that we have some really good leadership down there,” Mr. Widbin said.
Mr. Widbin said that it is too early to foresee how the team is going to shape up and that the real formation happens during the season, and many factors could affect the team in that time frame.
“Every season evolves differently,” Mr. Widbin said. “Depending on what happens early. Injuries could happen. The dynamic of the team can shift … I think the challenge is to allow the team to be unique and play to their strength while at the same time making sure that the focus is on the right thing every year. So it is hard for me to say at this point what the team is going to shape up to be like, personality wise.”
Mr. Widbin also said that this team has some areas to improve on to build off of last year’s team.
Last year, the varsity lacrosse record was eight wins and five losses.
He said that some areas that are eligible for growth is in their offensive consistency.
“We were fairly strong defensively,” Mr. Widbin said. “ I think we can get better … We were inconsistent offensively last year. We had games where we played really well and games where we couldn’t seem to do much. It was a lot of simple mistakes. So I think our biggest need for improvement is to stick to the work. It is not about making the flashy plays. It is about making the plays that you should make and making them all the time.”
Mr. Widbin said that some key players for this upcoming season will be Joe Van Ribbink ’17, Luke Van Ribbink ’17, Alex Lesher ’17 and Joe Ducey ’17.
“It’s going to be an upper-classman team for sure,” Mr. Widbin said. “A lot of seniors this year who have contributed over the last few years.”
Lacrosse player Marcus Pimentel ’18 said that he also agrees Van Ribbink and Lesher will be essential players because of their roles in the offensive schemes of the team.
Pimentel also said that he has high hopes for the new freshman goalie Liam Bailey ’20.
“I’m hoping this goalie can be good and better than anything we’ve seen before,” Pimentel said.
