Peglegs Aim High After Strong Finish Last Season

With spring comes the start of the lacrosse season; the Peglegs are looking to build off of last year’s impressive playoff run, in which they ultimately lost against Midwood in the semifinals with a final score of 6-13. Using last year’s success as a baseline, the Peglegs have set their expectations as high as possible this year, seeking to win the championship. “Our goal is to continue the momentum from last season, where we made it semi-finals in the playoffs. We have big things in store and are aiming for the championship,” senior and captain Rubin Peci said.

The new head coach, or Daryl Warfield, has taken the place of Coach Di Wu, who left Stuyvesant after last season. However, Stuyvesant alumnus Andrew Ligayi will remain as the assistant coach to help ease the transition in Coach Wu’s absence. When asked about a preview for the upcoming season, Coach Warfield said, “With returning players being inspired by last season, we will be making progress for sure.”

The Peglegs will also have to make up for the departures of the seniors and co-captains Sam Brimberg, Giorgio Vidali, and Dima Hvristman. Because of this, Peci believes that offense will be the major area that they must improve on. “We need to work on developing plays and formations that we will stick to, as last year was really just a lot of spontaneous plays made up in-game.” In order to establish a high-level offense, they will look to continue sticking with techniques that have been deemed effective last season, such as subbing players rapidly and passing from behind the goal. “We are expected to see more fluid offensive possessions with our overall passing skills improving. We will be a fun team to watch and root for,” Coach Warfield said. Players that are on the attacking side of the field, such as junior Andrew Hirtle, senior Anton Dalylenko, and senior Ariel Glazeman, will look to step up this season to provide the offensive firepower needed to complement their already sturdy defense.

On the other hand, defense is an area where the Peglegs excel and are confident about. Junior Alex Thompson, who has been playing since freshman year, is the leader of the defense. The Peglegs follow the fourth pole substitution strategy—having four defensive pole-carrying players on the field at all times. The Peglegs also look forward to having their middle help the defense. “Our middies who play defense, like me and [senior] Ian Kaplan, have improved their skills and are looking forward to playing against other teams,” Peci said.

Though the team’s overall goal is to win a championship, the Peglegs will not forget to build the younger players on the team. “We also have to prepare our younger players to play once the starters graduate,” Peci said. The experience will be crucial for the underclassmen, as they are expected to step up and lead the team in the future.