Joseph Magargal knew the eventual bumpy road was going to hit the Liberty boys’ lacrosse team. The Hurricanes encountered rough waters last week with a pair of deciding losses to Central Catholic and Northwestern, but Magargal isn’t getting overly worried about his team.

The ‘Canes are still 7-4 and enjoying their best season in program history, but have taken their lumps against some of the more seasoned programs in District 11.

“There are a lot of ups and downs throughout the season,” said Magargal. “It’s whether you can withstand the adversity and keep the right mindset to push forward. You can go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows at any given point. We had an easier schedule to start the season. Now we are playing the tougher competition and the best teams in the area. The next few weeks will show what kind of team we really are.”

That starts this week with a pair of showdowns against Southern Lehigh (4-3) and perennial power Emmaus (8-1).

Getting back in the win column against Solehi would be pivotal for Liberty before taking on the Hornets, but Magargal isn’t stressing about what can happen in each contest. He understands that despite the success the team has enjoyed so far this season, there’s going to be plenty more learning along the way.

“The team can learn a lot from this different level of competition I believe,” he said. “To see what these top programs are doing and how they are performing to set the precedent for themselves to take that next step. I just want the kids to understand you aren’t going to win every game, it’s just not a reality. But if each individual can do their job we can play with these teams, as has shown through the first quarter. We have great team chemistry and everyone really gets behind their teammate and just supports each others.”

Freedom (6-2) won three straight last week over Moravian, Bethlehem Catholic and Phillipsburg before Monday’s showdown with Emmaus [insert.]

The Pates close out the week against Northampton and Pleasant Valley.

Bethlehem Catholic (0-7) has struggled this year and have two matchups this week against Saucon Valley and Moravian.