By Lorenzo Recupero
Sometimes in sports accruing wins can be elusive, but once one comes along, winning has the potential to become contagious.
And somewhere in the boys lacrosse locker room at Everett High, a thermostat is probably reading: on fire.
The boys lacrosse team at EHS has been heating up at season’s end, flexing a collective muscle and showing a potential for excellence while putting together the program’s first-ever win streak with two consecutive victories over top-tier foes.
With wins over Lynn (11 to 5) and Mystic Valley (7 to 6), a state tourney-bound team, the Crimson Tide showed their improvement on the field having lost to both teams earlier in the season.
After going three seasons without a win, the team’s now won three games in a four game span.
“During the season, and after our first win, I had a feeling we’d be winning because the guys have really wanted it,” said head coach Anthony Genualdo. “We are playing with such an intensity and confidence right now and we are coming out to every game like we are winners,” he said.
Spearheading the effort has been senior Anthony Norica and junior Jason Suppa. During the win streak, the duo has combined for 75 percent of the team’s total goals scored.
But aside from their two leading scorers, plenty of other players have been stepping up to have a hand in the push, including senior captain Aiman Salih, who scored the game-winning goal against a tough Mystic Valley team. Senior attack Jason Cardinale has even found his game, scoring his first career goal while playing lockdown defense during the win streak.
In the last four games, they’ve held their opponents to 15 or less shot attempts. Defensively, the team’s been anchored by many, including Anthony Sousa, Josue Quijada, Kevin O’Brien, Nick Snook, Salih and captain Brendan Calderon.
And as the wins continue to add up, so come the milestones.
Following the team’s first win and first win streak, they now have their first 100 point scorer in junior Jason Suppa, who set the foundation for future aspiring lacrosse athletes to look up to with his 100th career point in the win over Mystic Valley.
“Our juniors and seniors are finishing off the season strong and locking down games both offensively and defensively,” said Genualdo of the win streak.
Fans have one last chance to catch the team’s evolution in action, as the they’ll compete in their final game of the season on Wednesday, May 23 starting at 4PM behind the Madeline English School.