The Lacrosse team enjoyed about as dominant of a victory as you’ll ever see in the sport on Thursday night, shutting out the Massaponax Panthers to the tune of 18-0.

Tyler Howard (‘19), a VMI commit, led the way for the recently surging Eagles offense with 5 goals. However, the real story of the night was goalie Anthony Merida (‘19), a fellow VMI commit, and the suffocating Eagles defense.

“The game went really well, the offense really stepped up and the defense had the first shutout in the past couple of years,” Merida said. It was a signature night for Merida and the team as the youthful group seem to finally be discovering their identity in the form of their defense.

The Eagles domination over the district seems to keep extending regardless of who is on the field. No matter, the record of the opponent, a shutout in Lacrosse is a major accomplishment for the team and especially for Merida who currently holds one of the highest save percentages in the state.

“We’ve really been progressing and seeing growth in the team,” Merida said, “it feels good to leave a statement.”