By Stuart Mager, Coach, Aptos High School Girls Lacrosse
I’d like to say how very proud I am of all the girls on Aptos High’s lacrosse team this season.
In just our third year in the Pacific Coast Athletic League (PCAL) and just in our third year ever for the girls lacrosse program at Aptos, the team went undefeated 9-0 in the Mission Division. Their record was 11-6 overall, making it to the CCS play-in game which we lost to Scotts Valley in a very close nail biter right to the end.
We had a tremendous group of girls that supported and encouraged each other all season, built team chemistry and camaraderie and made practice a place where players enjoyed themselves all of which are the reasons we were able to be so successful in only our third year as a team.
Lacrosse is not as popular yet as other spring sports, so it does not attract as many kids. The great thing about high school lacrosse is that everyone will get playing time even if they are brand new to the game or have never played another sport before.
This year, about half the team were new players, so to win the division speaks to how dedicated the players were to bettering their skills each and every week. There were lots of new freshman who were giving the sport a try for the first time and made big contributions throughout the season. We hope they will continue to be the face of the team in years to come.
The Santa Cruz Warriors Youth Lacrosse Association has been a big supporter of growing lacrosse in all the local schools, which will also help create a pipeline of players for future years and I would encourage. The team bid farewell to eight seniors who were responsible for a majority of the scoring and helped our defense in some tough games.
Our Senior Goalie had another fantastic year in the net. Although none of the seniors committed to playing in college as a varsity player, many have interest in playing in college at the club level and I hope they pursue it.
Many players were recognized by the league for their outstanding performance not just in stats, but as individuals who espoused good sportsmanship, a relentless drive to help the team be successful and tenacity on the field.
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Aptos had the following players earn All-League awards:
1st Team
Avi Andrews – senior Midfield
Maya Rosa – senior Midfield
Aryel Reyes Mager – junior Attack
Lucy Erikson – junior Defense
Gia Arista – junior Defense
2nd Team
Gamble Kellermyer – senior Goalie
Mia Sanchez – senior Defense
Mary Watson – senior Midfield
Richard Chamberlin All Sportsmanship Team
Lauren Galster – junior Defense
PCAL Mission Division Player of the Year
Aryel Reyes Mager