Men’s Lacrosse Takes the Field
Senior night at Stevens Stadium saw Broncos on top
Whether it’s a morning matinee or a nighttime showcase at Bellomy Field, Santa Clara men’s lacrosse is hard at work. As a club sport, the team has to raise their own funds, recruit harder and market to the community to garner interest.
While the team’s on-field prowess hasn’t been as consistent this season as in the past, that hasn’t stopped them from giving all they have. As seniors are winding down their last season of college lacrosse–and, in some cases, their careers–they’d love nothing more than wanting to go out on a high note. That opportunity came on the night of Saturday, April 15.
The team’s senior night against local rival Stanford was held at Stevens Stadium, where students and families showed up loud and proud to cheer on the Broncos.
“[Playing in Stevens] amped us up,” said senior Tomas Cleary. “Not only because this is one time we get to do this but it’s also our showcase. We had some local programs in attendance tonight. This is how we recruit so we had to put on a show.”
And put on a show they did, as the Broncos stretched out to a 5-0 lead over the first quarter and a half of the game and overpowered Stanford with their brawn.
As if the physicality wasn’t enough, Santa Clara flashed moments of brilliance on the fastbreak. Cleary diced up the Cardinal defense with precision passing and senior Carson Lombardi scored on a phenomenal no-look shot.
The Broncos rode high over the course of the second half, and they won the game 11-5. Tommy Bingham provided great scoring and Mark Ellersick shot an otherworldly goal from half-field. Not only was the game a proper sendoff for the seniors in their last regular season game on campus, but also a playoff berth. By virtue of their win, Santa Clara clinched a position in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) playoffs, where they will meet the Sonoma State Seawolves in the first round.
The Broncos have certainly found success and then some over these past few seasons. Their senior game was a testament to the foundational brotherhood that they have built over this particular one, and this win was the cherry on top.