According to coach Eric Buckley, Park struggled in the first quarter of the game, but was able to come together and score in the later quarters thanks to the improved collaboration between the captains and the team.

“We got off to a little bit of a slow start,” Buckley said. “They put us down four-nothing, but because of the leadership of the captains and the effort of the team, we were able to rally back and score a quick couple of goals.”

According to captain Noah Houser, the team has had to adjust to the large absence of experienced players that graduated.

“We have a completely new team this year, we lost most of our team,” Houser said.  “We lost like 20-25 people that were seniors, so it’ll be a different experience.”

Throughout the game April 16, Park coaches took note of the team’s vulnerabilities that led to a 4-9 defeat, according to Buckley.

“Our biggest weakness that we’re going to face is our stick skills,” Buckley said.

According to Buckley, the team’s primary strength is it’s guidance and initiative, which can be attributed to it’s veteran players.

“We’ve got the leadership down with our captains,” Buckley said. “We’ve got a really good group of captains that are able to lead the team and keep the feelings positive.”

Junior Parker Brynildson, who scored three out of four goals for Park, said he would not have been able to perform so well without the support of his teammates, particularly junior Leo Benson, who also plays the position of attacker.

“I feel pretty good about my performance,” Brynildson said. “It’s nothing without Leo, who gave me two assists, and the team as well.”

According to Buckley, the team has already shown prowess on its side of the field, but will need to work on pushing into the opponent’s territory.

“We have a defense that can stop the shots,” Buckley said. “But once we get the ball, we are having trouble getting it back over to the offense.”

According to Buckley, the team did not let the scoreboard impede its performance, even in the final minutes of the game.

“Despite the score, they played like they were ahead and they played with full effort,” Buckley said. “They came together and finished the game strong.”

Despite Park’s loss, Brynildson said he remained optimistic about the team’s overall performance and said he looks forward to more games.

“The game went well because we played hard to the end and everyone proved themselves,” Brynildson said. “There’s a lot more to come.”

Park’s next game will be against Benilde 7 p.m. April 18 at Benilde, according to MN Lacrosse Hub.