Brian Kaiserman
Staff Writer
Despite a closely contested opening half on Tuesday, the Mustangs managed to pull ahead early in the third and never looked back.
Mira Costa boys lacrosse secured their spot in the Bay League tournament finals after defeating the Peninsula Panthers 9-2. The Mustangs relied on sophomore goalie Jonas Wahlstedt throughout the night as he made numerous saves to keep the Mustangs on top.
“We possessed the ball well and were able to execute on our passing,” Wahlstedt said. “Defensively we did a great job of sliding to the ball and clearing when we got an opportunity.”
The first half showcased strong goaltending and defense, as neither team could seem to buy a goal. The Mustangs held a 2-0 lead for much of the second quarter until Peninsula scored late, ending the half with the Mustangs up 2-1.
“We were setting up our offense really well with our passing,” junior middy Phillip Wah said. “We didn’t make too many adjustments at halftime because we felt like as long as we kept working hard eventually we would go on a run.”
Video: Mira Costa possesses the ball in the offensive zone while on a man up opportunity. The Mustangs nearly capitalized at the end of the play but the Panthers goalie made a big save.
Early in the third quarter, the Mustangs offense exploded, scoring five goals to give the Mustangs a commanding lead going into the final period. Wahlstedt continued his strong performance as goalie, allowing just one goal in the second half.
“After the first half, we really turned it on and just had fun out there,” coach Aaron Karsh said. “We played carefree lacrosse and trusted in our teammates.”
The Mustangs finished the game out strong in the fourth, as they tallied two more goals. They played strong defense throughout the game and finished with a 9-2 victory.
“Our seniors really stepped up for us tonight and it was a great team victory,” Wah said.
After a 13-2 loss to Palos Verdes in the previous game, the Mustangs bounced back in a big way, improving their record to 11-5 on the season. On Thursday, the Mustangs will face Palos Verdes once again with a Bay League Championship on the line.
“We’ve worked really hard this year and come a long way,” Karsh said. “As long as we believe in each other and trust in our teammates we can do well on Thursday.
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