In a closely contested game, the varsity girls’ lacrosse team lost 12-14 to Los Gatos High School in their Central Coast Section (CCS) quarterfinal matchup on Tuesday, May 13. The loss marked the end of a hard-fought season for the team.
“We wanted to win and obviously keep going,” said junior midfielder Haleh Ansari. “We had high expectations, but I’m also sad about the seniors leaving. This team is not going to be the same.”
The Panthers dominated the first quarter, jumping to a 3-0 lead. However, momentum shifted in the second quarter as Los Gatos responded with renewed energy.
“They didn’t seem to have that sort of drive or scrappiness. We dominated the first quarter. They must have gotten a pep talk or something, but they came out like a totally different team after that,” assistant coach Alexandra Gray said.
Though the Panthers were down by multiple goals in the second and third quarters, they closed the gap in the final stretch and kept pressure on Los Gatos until the final whistle.
“We definitely kept playing till the end. We knew we had a chance, we just didn’t get the ball. But everyone was hustling and trying their best to get the ball back. We just couldn’t get up on them,” Ansari said.
Gray echoed Ansari’s sentiment, noting how the team responded in contested plays.
“I’m just so proud of our team because our girls really hustled, and especially those 50/50 ground balls, where you don’t know who’s gonna get it, our girls went for it,” Gray said.
Gray said that several players, including Ansari, stood out for their leadership and impact on the field throughout the season.
“Haleh is just a phenomenal lacrosse player,” Gray said. “She’s a leader on and off the field. One thing that she does that’s irreplaceable is she wins the draw a lot.”
Senior defender Elle Mercer also earned praise from Gray for her role as a defensive cornerstone.
“She’s a wall back there,” Gray said. “She stops some of the best attackers in their tracks, because she’s such a great defender, and she does an awesome job getting those ground balls afterwards.”
While the Panthers’ playoff run may have ended earlier than she hoped, Ansari left the field with pride and a strong sense of accomplishment.
“I feel like we could have definitely beaten this team, but I still feel proud of what we’ve done,” Ansari said. “We have great coaches and such a great atmosphere on the team. It’s such a great group of people.”
