A cloudy Sunday morning saw the Santa Clara Broncos take down the Oregon State Beavers 13-6 on Bellomy Field at Santa Clara University. This was the Broncos’ first game of the season, setting the tone for their inaugural season under new head coach Manny Rapkin.

Rapkin is a seasoned lacrosse coach, spending 10 years at Grand Canyon University as an assistant club lacrosse coach during the 2010-2011 season and then head coach from 2011-2019. He then took his experience to the NCAA Division III level, where he coached at Vassar College and Southern New Hampshire University until 2023.

**Photo by David Head.** Santa Clara University men’s lacrosse team celebrates their win.

Rapkin’s strong coaching showed as the Broncos flew out of the gates, netting six of their 15 shots taken in just the first quarter. Jack Cipriani ’27 scored the first goal of the season for the Broncos, finishing the day with an impressive four goals and three assists.

Cipriani wasn’t the only contributor, with points coming from five other players. Aidan Oates ’25, Jack Partovi ’25, and Logan Braddish ’27 each scored two goals with one assist coming from Oates and Braddish, respectively. Jack Egan ’25 also assisted two of his teammates.

Bronco goalie Ryan Rosselli ’26 had a 66% save percentage, giving his teammates a critical lift on the defensive side. Rosselli is returning as the starting goalie for his second year.

When asked about the key to the Broncos success, Cipriani said, “It comes down to game preparation and playing our game,” adding, “We’ve got some seriously talented athletes on our team, and when we adjust our game plan to our opponent and play unselfishly, we are a serious force to be reckoned with.”

The Broncos look to carry their momentum into San Luis Obispo as they face the nationally ranked Cal Poly Mustangs this Saturday. As a top-15 program, the Mustangs are strong on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, but the Broncos are eager to add on to their recent success.