Liberty High lacrosse team scores 9-4 win over Heritage

A collision between opposing players shows the intensity of Thursday's game. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

By Paige Mendez, Correspondent

The Liberty High boys lacrosse team took a 9-4 victory over Heritage on the road Thursday night.

Senior Carson White started the Bison off with two goals within the first minute of the game, followed by a goal from sophomore Josef Bae, to take the score to 3-0.

Just before the half, Liberty put one more goal in the net -- but in the wrong net -- to give Heritage their first score of the game. Liberty led 3-1 at the half.

Patriot senior Isaac Ahmed scored a goal from over 15 yards out around the nine-minute mark of the third quarter, bringing his team within one. Heritage head coach Adam Cyhan said Ahmed’s goal was not only a good energy boost for his team, but made the game eerily similar to the two teams’ matchup last season.

“We had a game last year where they gave us an own-goal and then a rally started by Isaac,” Cyhan said. “We were really hoping in that moment that it would end the way last year’s did too, with a win for us.”

After two more Liberty goals came in before the end of the third, both from Bae, Heritage was still within reach of that repeat of last year’s game with a 5-2 deficit going into the final period.

Two Heritage goals from Luis Alvido Loredo and Leonardo Gonzalez in the fourth quarter meant they were just one goal away from tying it up. But Liberty head coach Scott Cunningham said his team flipped some sort of switch at that point and played more to their potential, scoring four more goals in the final three minutes of the game.

“We are a more talented team,” he said. “We weren’t playing to our potential in the second and third quarters but we got back there at the end.”

One key part of their potential played out in Bae’s performance on the night. He finished with five goals, setting a personal record, he gave his team the cushion they needed to finish with the 9-4 win.

The two teams are set to face each other again in just four days. Heritage will look for their first win of the season (currently 0-9 overall) and the Bison (3-7 overall, 3-3 league) will continue to look for their fifth win, which is the goal Cunningham set for his team at the start of their season.

While the matchup is certainly intense—riddled with penalties and rivalry— Cyhan wants the community to know that the kids playing are doing it with all their hearts and that these games are ones to invest in.

“These kids are playing with purple bruises and doing their best because they love it,” he said. “We really could do well with more community support and funding especially with budget cuts coming up. Lacrosse is a program that can always use more support.”

The next chance to go see and support these two Menifee teams as they face each other again is on Monday at Liberty at 6 p.m.

A Liberty player misses with a leaping shot on goal in Thursday's game. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

 A Liberty forward advances the ball in search of a goal Thursday. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

Liberty's Josef Bae scores a goal to help the Bison pad their lead. (Photo by Rick Rowell)