On April 10, the McLean boys lacrosse team won their home game against Langley 9-8 in a double overtime game.

With a large crowd for a chilly Tuesday night, the McLean Highlanders stepped out onto the field ready to face their rivals. However, Langley’s threat came early in the game, with the Saxons scoring the night’s first goal.

“We walked in with lion mentality,” junior Vaughn McCollough said.

Though the Saxons were quick to score on McLean at the beginning of the first quarter, the game started to take a turn for the better as the Saxons’ shots consistently hit the goalpost. McLean players started to use this weakness to their advantage, making quick rushes down the field to start their goal attempts.

The high energy on the field after McLean’s first goal of the night left coaches and players on both sides fueled by their competition. With both teams accompanied by their own lively student sections, each play made was met with roars from the crowd.

As the first quarter came to an end, the Highlanders were gaining momentum with a score of 3-1. Though the Saxons continued their fierce attacks into the second quarter, McLean goalie Hugh Hancock was able to prevent Langley from scoring. Despite Hancock’s many saves, the Saxons scored twice, tying up the score with only a few minutes left of the second quarter.

To break the tied score, senior Tristan Jander made a goal with an assist by junior Isaac Bell, bringing the score to 4-3. With a lot of tension and little time, the fast-paced game came to a halt when a Langley player was injured on the Highlander’s side of the field. The momentum of the game picked back up when Langley tied the score once more, ending the second quarter at 4-4.

With a tied game at halftime, the Highlanders had a serious discussion on the field during the break. Picking back up, McLean returned with a fiery attitude and the drive to win, scoring first.

“We were there play after play for our teammates, picking each other up and rallying behind them,” sophomore Landon Moore said.

Hancock worked to save the many attempts on goal by the Saxons, and with these saves he opened up opportunities for his own teammates to score. Senior Charlie Samburg soon ran the ball down the field, scoring a goal and bringing the score to 6-4.

“The game showcased some phenomenal defense,” Moore said. “We looked calm right where to be and were able to shut out most of [Langley’s] long and tough possessions.”

As the third quarter came to an end, McLean’s energy was better than ever, high off their advantage as the crowd’s enthusiasm fueled their motivation. Revved up from the tensions between their rivals, McLean junior Vaughn McCollough made an illegal body check and was put on a one minute penalty with only thirty seconds left of the last quarter. Despite the high energy, back to back goals from Langley tied the game, eventually gaining themselves a slim advantage and nearing the end of the quarter with a 6-7 score. The Highlanders fought back, as Charlie Samburg evened out the score and McLean continued to defend their goal despite Langley’s strong offense.

“Honestly, just exhaustion was our challenge this game,” coach Brian Simmons said. “We’ve had many games back-to-back and we were just overtired, but we came out on top.”

After spending a long time on McLean’s side, Langley once again turned the tables, bringing the score to 7-8. Quick on their feet, the Highlanders remained determined, with Maxwell Mullen running the ball up the field and scoring ten seconds after the Langley goal was made.

“Our plays were flowing smoothly and no moment was too big for anyone,” Moore said.

With a tied score and a riled up crowd, overtime was called and four more minutes were added to the clock. Throughout these four minutes, both sides fought tooth and nail to score the final goal in the sudden death overtime and end the game. Alas, the four minutes were not enough and the game went into double overtime.

“The defensive stand in both overtimes played amazing[ly] and fired up the whole team as our defense shut Langley down,” Moore said.

Close to victory, McLean scored the team’s winning goal through a rush down field, bringing the final score to 9-8. With the team rushing onto the field and throwing their equipment on the ground, the Highlanders in the stands cheered loudly and celebrated McLean’s hard-earned win.

“The team’s heart and resilience [helped us win] the game,” Simmons said. “We’ve been in two overtime games already this year, we just play our system and everything works out.”