The Parkland High School boys lacrosse team bounced back from a nonconference defeat in the home finale to Garnet Valley on April 29, to start the month of May with a new winning streak, taking both of its games last week in the final week of the regular season.

“We feel good about where we ended up, even beyond our 15-2 record,” said Trojan head coach Vincent Arezzi. “The boys have shown tremendous personal growth and we are taking immense pride in that. Additionally, the atmosphere is positive, practices are high energy and engaging. My assistant coaches have shown amazing dedication, brilliance, and leadership.

“We have strong senior leaders who want to compete. With 10 seniors on the team, we have great experience and a drive to succeed. Additionally, we started out with a mantra of trust, accountability, and discipline. I believe we achieved those values, while also adding resiliency, patience, and dedication.”

The Trojans defeated rival Emmaus 14-8 last Tuesday, May 2, and followed that up with a 15-8, nonconference victory over Northwestern Lehigh last Thursday. Both games were on the road. Parkland finished the regular season with a 15-2 overall record and an undefeated 9-0 mark in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. The Trojans are the top seed in this week’s EPC tournament and had a rematch with the fourth-seeded Green Hornets Wednesday at Northampton High School. Second-seeded Freedom and third-seeded Easton was the other semifinal.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how the team responds to the demands of playoff lacrosse,” Arezzi said. “When the stakes go up, and a loss ends your season, it’s a completely different feeling. I’m hoping we will be able to show how far we’ve come as a cohesive team and display the cultural changes we’ve worked all year for.”

There have been a few individual standouts for Arezzi this season and he highlighted some of those players.

“Chase Kusko has taken the team on his back,” said Arezzi. “He’s our on-field leader and the backbone of the offense. Parker Kusko, in just his sophomore year, has had a tremendous impact on our offense. Michael Chimics is our leader on the defense and always puts the team first. His selfless attitude is contagious, and his work ethic is unmatched. James Hohenshilt is an outstanding defender, who gets the toughest matchups each game. Andrew Matulevicius a sophomore goalie who won the starting spot this year. In addition to his athletic ability, he has leadership potential with his direction of the defense.”