As the spring sports season rolls around, the Burlingame lacrosse team is poised to have a great season under head coach Neal Kaufman. With a core of juniors supplemented by a few strong seniors, the Panthers are looking to have one of their best seasons in recent history.

“I could see us easily being a top contender for the league champion,” junior defenseman Ethan Kaufman said.

After a mediocre season last year in which the team finished with a record of 8-9, the Panthers will lean on a strong defense to propel them to success in the upcoming season. Held down by juniors Ryan Mosse, Steven Yarmolinsky and Ethan Kaufman, the team will rely on their back line to hold the opponents to low scores.

Not only does Burlingame have a strong defense, but they also have very skilled players all around. Despite losing scoring machines in Brennan Cosenza, Luke Eichensehr and Ben Shaffer to graduation, senior attacker Drew Smith as well as juniors Casey Johnstone and Trevor Macko will do all they can to step up.

“We have a lot of athletic ability and potential this year,” Kaufman said.

Even with such a capable team, the Panthers have their work cut out for them. Winning a league with lacrosse powerhouses such as Menlo-Atherton, Los Gatos and Palo Alto is no easy task, yet the team remains optimistic.

“I believe that we can go far with the team we have this year, and the potential is there,” Kaufman said.