The Coppell Cowboys Lacrosse team played their third game in six days last Thursday, when they took on the Episcopal School of Dallas Eagles at Lesley Field in Coppell. ESD came into the game with a 5-1 overall record, and their only loss coming against out-of-state opponent IMG Academy of Florida, a team which has finished ranked in the national top 10 the past three seasons.

ESD established a trend early on which continued throughout the game, which consisted of them winning and maintaining possession and working methodically through their offense to generate a lopsided advantage in attempted shots. ESD attempted a total of 40 shots for the game, compared to just 14 for Coppell, which created a major challenge for the Cowboy offense to create consistent scoring, and forced the Coppell defensive unit to be on the field the majority of the game.

The defensive play was strong for both teams in the first half, with Coppell’s lone goal coming on an unassisted dodge and score by midfielder Ethan Bivens early in the first quarter. And while the possessions and shots piled up for ESD in the first half, they were only able to score 3 times, and they took a narrow 3-1 lead into the halftime break. Freshman LSM Cannon Peters (3 groundball wins, no turnovers) showed excellent stick skills for the Cowboys in winning some contested ground ball possessions and showing his value as a face-off wing player.

The scoring picked up in the 3^rd quarter as Coppell went man down on an unsportsmanlike penalty followed by a goal from Eagle’s Freshman Reed Landin (3 goals scored on the game). But Coppell answered back with a pair of 3^rd quarter goals to keep things close. Senior attackman Reese Walker (1 goal, 1 assist on the game) found Freshman Gavin Osteen for the first goal of the half. Coppell then took advantage of a penalty drawn by Junior Walker Cain (1 goal, 1 assist on the game) against ESD’s Scott Bower, who is committed to play Division 1 lacrosse for Univ. of Virginia. On the man-up shift that followed, Cowboy midfielder Peyton Barron made an off-balance catch and assist from his knees to teammate Walker Cain for the goal, which closed the score to 5-3 in favor of the Eagles.

ESD continued its control of ball possession and outscored the Cowboys by a total of 5-1 through the remainder of the game, led by Senior attackman Brandon Meaux (committed to play Division 1 lacrosse at Georgetown), who added 2 goals and an assist down the stretch. Sophomore Jack Loftis directed the ESD offense all night, finishing with a goal and an assist. Coppell Freshman Colton Delk played strong one-on-one defense throughout the game, despite covering ESD’s top offensive threats and playing every minute of the contest. Goalie Hayden MacArthur posted double digit saves again and had a 58% save percentage on the game.

The loss moves the Cowboy’s record to 3-2 on the season, and 0-1 in District play. Coppell will get some time off during the Spring Break period, with their next match coming over two weeks later against Seven Lakes of Houston, who will be visiting Lesley field on March 24^th.

Upcoming game note: Coppell Lacrosse is excited to partner with Keller Lacrosse for our second annual Lace Up With Lax event benefiting Jonathon’s Place - a Dallas area shelter that provides a safe, loving home and specialized services to children who have been victims of abuse, abandonment, or neglect. Come to the game on March 29th and bring a new pair of shoes for donation.