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Sports

Medford High Boys Lacrosse Shooting For the Stars

The Medford High boys lacrosse team is looking to get to the next level as the sports popularity increases both in Medford and throughout the Boston area.

Three years ago, it would have seemed absurd for the Medford High boys lacrosse team to even consider making the postseason. 

That’s decidedly no longer the case.

Just a few short years after an agonizing 0-17 campaign, the Mustangs are two-time defending Greater Boston League champions, and second-year head coach Mike Engel is looking to take his team to even greater heights this season.

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“Keep playing with class,” is the team’s motto. Already the class of the GBL, Medford’s 2011 schedule is dotted with some of the top programs in the state.

“We won the GBL two years in a row, and last year we made the state tournament for the first time in about five years,” Engel said. “We’re headed in a new direction and we’re headed to a new place. A lot of that has to do with just playing the game the right way and doing the right things, on and off the field.”

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With brand new $2 million turf athletic fields behind the school, and the first appearance on the varsity squad of players who came through Medford’s youth lacrosse program—now working more closely with Engel and MHS than previously—the sport is enjoying more popularity than ever. Not just in Medford, but all throughout Greater Boston.

“It’s cool because you see the growth of the sport, and also see the growth within our own program,” said Engel. “With the youth program now being a true feeder program, and having more of the young kids in Medford playing for MHS, that’s a huge deal. In the past, we lost kids to Malden Catholic, Arlington Catholic ... the private schools. Now we’re retaining more and more of them.”

Turning the Medford Youth Lacrosse program into more of a feeder program was something high on Engel’s agenda when he took over for Mike Cincotta as the Mustangs coach in 2009.

“When I cam in here, I really tried to initiate (stronger ties with the youth program),” Engel said. “I know (Medford Youth Lacrosse Director Carol Whooley), and we’ve really forged a nice relationship there. We have about four kids on the varsity who were fully involved in the youth program last year.”

The benefits of having kids come through the youth ranks is readily apparent to Engel when he watches them on the field.

“You can see it in their stick skills and in the games,” said Engel. “You just see a little more game experience ... It’s obvious.”

Engel, a former Boston Globe lacrosse player of the year, inherited a struggling program that was headed in the right direction, but gave it a big push in his first season at the helm. After the 0-17 2008 campaign, Cincotta skippered the Mustangs to an 8-10 mark and the GBL title in 2009. Engel built in that improvement his first season, guiding the team to 10 wins and a berth in the MIAA Tournament last season, the firs winning year for Medford High lacrosse in six seasons.

As far as scheduling goes, Engel has opted to set the bar high and put the onus on his squad to reach it.

“The schedule has picked up quite a bit,” he said. “It went from being a really weak schedule to being a very, very strong schedule. We play Framingham, Brookline, Newton South, Malden Catholic and Northbridge ... We’re playing some really good quality, some real quality opponents.”

Engel feels that the trial by fire approach is the surest way to bring the program to the next tier. Common wisdom would seem to support this position. As the saying goes, you’ve got to beat the best, if you want to be the best.

The Mustangs are currently 2-1 and halfway to a third consecutive GBL crown after beating both Malden and Cambridge Rindge & Latin in blowout fashion.

“We’re trying to step it up,” Engel said. “We’re trying to get to the next level ... We may lose a few more games, but I can see that week to week we get better, which is what I want to see.”

Once considered primarily an offseason “stay in shape” sport, the increasing numbers in Medford and surrounding towns, coupled with the dedication of the players, indicate that lacrosse is banging on the door of the “major” sports, and seems poised to join the ranks, if it hasn’t already.

“Just in terms of kids playing, we’ve seen growth here,” said Engel. “We’ve also seen tremendous growth of the sport in the Greater Boston area.” 

Engel hopes to add a freshman team in the near future. The Mustangs currently offer the sport at the junior varsity and varsity levels.

The reasons for the sport shedding its niche status are varied, but “the fastest game on two feet,” as it is sometimes referred to, has enjoyed steady growth throughout the nation over the past few years. 

“I think the kids just have fun playing it, they really do,” Engel said. “I think they really love playing it, and they see it can be played in a positive way. The sport is about having fun and having a good time.”

While success on the field is the ultimate goal of any team’s season, wins are only half the story as far as Engel is concerned. 

“Our motto is keep playing with class,” he said. “Go hard until the final whistle; respect yourself, your teammates and your opponent.”

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