The Chapel Hill men’s lacrosse team finished its regular season 14-5, taking first place after going 6-0 in the DAC VII conference and notching three more victories than last year’s squad.
The Tigers beat Jordan High School 6-5 on April 25 to secure the conference title
“We knew we had to beat Jordan in our last conference game in order to obtain the fourth seed in the playoffs, which was a higher seed than we had been players for a couple years,” junior Noah Markwell said.
The team made it to the second round in the state tournament but fell to Leesville Road High School 12-4 on May 5, after getting a bye the first round.
Markwell led the team in both goals and points with 45 goals and 56 points.
“This team is so much fun to be on,” Markwell said. “The guys are always so supportive of me and each other which makes it incredibly rewarding to be on this team.”
Senior Holden Zimmermann finished the season ranked third in the DAC-VII conference for ground balls, with 113.
“I’m definitely gonna miss Chapel Hill lacrosse,” he said. “It certainly has helped shape my high school experience and given me so many friends that I consider family.”
Senior goalkeeper Kevin Velazquez finished tenth in the NC East Division 4A for save percentage at 0.592%.
“Being goalie comes with a lot of pressure, but the guys make it all worth it,” he said.
Senior Will Genderson said a highlight of the season was beating East for a spot in the conference championship.
“Beating East for a spot in the conference championship is a win the team wanted so badly and I think we showed it with how we played,” Genderson said.
The team featured 11 seniors, five of whom served as captains.
Velazquez and George Psaltis are committed to play lacrosse at Virginia Wesleyan University, and Kaja Brown will play at Mercer University.
Head coach and social studies teacher Jacob Manning explained the special relationship he has formed with the seniors of this season.
“I’ve coached this group of seniors for years now and this season has been so fulfilling. I am excited to see where this team can go next season,” Manning said.
