Arjun Jindal

Viking senior Anjini Sanchorawala runs past a Wilcox High School player on March 16 at home. “This was not our best game,” Senior Natalie Dymmel said. “We definitely used things from practice from last week after our game on Wednesday, and held them [Gators] to our advantage.”

The Palo Alto High School girls’ lacrosse (13-3) team beat the Castilleja High School Gators (9-9), 14-13, on Monday at home, with much of the game centered around Castilleja School’s senior night.

Even though this was, in many senses, a home game for the Vikings, the Gators, who did not have their own field due to construction, held their senior night at the game. Their players came before the game to set up decorations for their team on Paly’s El Camino field. Additionally, Castilleja was designated as the home team for the game.

The game itself was a perfect end for the Castilleja seniors, staying close until the final minutes. For the Vikings, this victory served as their second-to-last game as they prepare for CCS playoffs.

According to Castilleja senior Zoe Friedman, despite the loss she was happy with the game.

“I am really proud of us [Gators]; we went out really strong and were in a league below,” Friedman said. “So being able to play and really have a fair fight with Paly and them being number one in the league above us was really gratifying. It just shows how hard we have worked this season.”

The Vikings started the game quickly, with a goal from freshman Hanna Karsner after a quick dash through the Castileja defense, bringing the score to 1-0. The Vikings followed this up with another goal, extending their lead to 2-0.  The Gators then scored back-to-back goals on the fast break, putting the score at 2-3. The Vikings responded with two more goals from Karnser, making the score 4-3. The Gators then scored twice in the last minutes of the quarter, ending the quarter with a one-point lead for the Gators, 4-5.

According to the Viking head coach Kaitlin Chu, the team was able to settle down in the start of the game.

“We [Vikings] played really well, going into the game as a tough game, but everybody played well,” Chu said. “We were a little bit frantic at first, but we kind of settled down and were able to figure things out.”

In the second quarter, both teams had strong offense, with Vikings senior Natalie Dymmel scoring from a foul, tying the score at 5-5. The Vikings’ defense then struggled to stop the Gators from scoring, with back-to-back goals putting them ahead, 5-7. The Vikings then managed to put themselves back into the game with a good timed pass giving an open shot, bumping the score up to 6-7.

According to Chu, the Vikings had strong defense.

“Our attack did a really good job of defending on the ride, and it was kind of an all around full field effort,” Chu said.

Going into the third quarter, the Vikings scored from a quick run and an open shot from Karnser, which made the score 7-8. Then, Dymmel scored after making a long run, bringing the score up to 8-8. Both teams then exchanged points, ending the quarter with the score 10-9.

In the final quarter of the game, the Vikings scored two quick goals from Karnser and Dymmel, bumping the score up to 12-11. The Gators then found an open pass in front of the net, with a shot tying the game at 12-12. The Vikings exchanged goals with the Gators, bringing the score to 13-13. With a minute left in the game, the Vikings got an opportunity to score after a foul, ending the game at 14-13.

According to Friedman, the game came with an emotional weight.

“I don’t think I am going to have the opportunity to play lacrosse in college, so this is definitely kind of the ending of a chapter for me,” Friedman said. “Regardless, I am really proud of how we went out there today and for these four years.”

The Vikings also beat the Wilcox High School Chargers (0-12), 12-0, on Wednesday.

According to Dymmel, the Vikings will play their Central Coast Section playoff game next Tuesday.

“We do have our CCS game scheduled for next Tuesday,” Dymmel said. “We’re in the first round. We do not know who we play yet or what time where, but we know we’re in there and we’re just hoping for a good team and good competition and we are hoping we will have a good postseason and hopefully win it all.”