Having won four of its last five matches, the Malibu High lacrosse team was feeling confident and preparing for a strong end to the season. Unfortunately the Sharks ran into the hottest team in league last Friday night, as rivals Thousand Oaks avenged an early-season loss to MHS with a comprehensive 16-7 win over the Sharks. The result moved the Lancers to within a half game of second-place Malibu in the league standings with only three games left in the season.
“I guess we got kind of worked,” Malibu’s Cooper McDonnell said. “They outhustled us tonight. We need to start working better together and get ready for next week. We came into this game thinking we were going to win and we didn’t come through.”
Fresh off a tough 8-7 overtime loss to front-running Westlake in its prior match, MHS entered the game with thoughts of regaining its winning edge, but the Sharks encountered a Thousand Oaks team determined to bounce back from a 10-9 loss to Malibu on March 16.
The Lancers (8-6, 7-5) took the lead just 29 seconds into the contest when midfielder Andy Crown scored on a 10-foot wrist shot that whistled past Malibu goalie Jake Wexler.
Malibu (9-4, 7-4) countered a minute later when junior Sean Ryan connected on a 12-foot shot through the legs of Lancer goalie Cameron Moore. The 1-1 tie didn’t last long as Thousand Oaks took control of the first period scoring three consecutive goals, two of which came courtesy of Malibu penalties that gave Thousand Oaks a man-advantage each time.
The 4-1 lead stretched to 6-1 midway through the second period when the Lancers caught the Sharks’ defense flat-footed to score on two fast break opportunities.
“We didn’t clear the ball well and we gave them a lot of easy and early goals,” Malibu Coach Steve O’Neill said. “We had poor transition play and we need to be smarter on defense. They just outplayed us.”
The Lancers began to pour it on as they outscored the Sharks 5-2 in the third period to open up a commanding 12-5 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Any thoughts of a Malibu comeback were thwarted when Thousand Oaks scored two goals in the first three minutes of the final period.
The statistics told the tale, as Thousand Oaks outshot the Sharks 37-28 and garnered more ground balls, 32-28.
The victory was the sixth straight for the host Lancers, who moved to within a half game of the Sharks for second place in the “CA 101” league.
“Coming into this game we were very nervous,” Thousand Oaks Coach Jon Oswaks said. “But we did a lot of preparation for the game. My guys went out there and played hard. We wanted to score quickly and in bunches to maybe break their spirit a little bit. And that started to happen.”
Six different Malibu players scored in the game, led by Ryan’s two goals and two assists. Ryan leads Malibu with 29 goals and 11 assists for the year.
“I don’t think we were prepared for this game. Our last practice wasn’t a good one,” said junior Patrick Wetton, who has scored 21 goals on the season. “Overall, it was kind of a letdown.”
The Sharks have a roster with only one senior, Alec Houge, on it. Houge is the team’s best defender and he was sorely missed against the Lancers due to an injury suffered against Westlake. His status for the remainder of the season is up in the air.
The team’s youth has actually been a pleasant surprise this season with MHS winning nine of its first 11 games. But the loss to Thousand Oaks was a wake-up call as the team turned its attention to the final week of the season at Oaks Christian, home against Calabasas and away at Newbury Park.
“It’s just about getting 16-year-old boys to concentrate. Stay engaged and not check out mentally. But that is what happens,” O’Neill said. “It’s been a very successful year otherwise.”
The California Interscholastic Federation does not sanction playoffs nor recognize a champion for lacrosse. Any opportunity to play after the regular season is at the discretion of a random committee that selects 16 teams based on merit and strength of schedule to take part in a post-season tournament. A “pseudo” champion is then crowned.
“We need to bond and regroup as a team,” Wetton said. “Just focus and be ready for every game and maybe even the playoffs.”