BY QUENTIN SAUVAGEAU
At the start of the 2024 Spring season, the BHS Boys’ Lacrosse Team was eager to reclaim their first NEC title in 7 years. Due to complicating matters, for their first four games, the Panthers would have to endure without a pair of key sophomores. Matt Maloblocki (Midfielder/Faceoff) and Sean Costa (Long Stick Midfielder), found themselves sidelined both serving four-game suspensions to start their season. The Panthers struggled early in the season without either player; they dropped all of their first 5 games, 3 of which were 1 goal losses.
“It definitely wasn’t my favorite feeling to watch my team lose four straight games knowing if I was out there I could do something about it,” Costa said.
The sentiment was shared between the two sophomores.
“I know that I could make a great impact if I was in the game. It made me feel helpless and I felt like I let my team down,” Maloblocki described.
Despite being freshmen, both Matt and Sean played well enough to earn varsity minutes last season. Maloblocki won the team’s “Rising Star” award the previous spring, signaling the team’s high hopes for the following year. Costa, who stars for the football team in the fall, also looked to have an even bigger role in this spring’s campaign.
“When we returned it was not very smooth,” Maloblocki explained. “We had a big loss and it took Sean and I time to get used to being back.”
The suspension wasn’t silent however, other teams seemed to know that the duo would be out for the first 4 games and would attempt to get in the players’ heads.
“Most of the chirps were directed at Matt, ” Costa said. “I didn’t play as much last year as Matt did so everyone knows Matt and his contribution to the team, so I definitely heard teams directing chirps his way.”
The 2023 season had Maloblocki posting 32 goals and 21 assists for the Panthers, his 53 points were good for the most for a freshman wearing orange and black in over a decade.
“They didn’t affect me too much,” Maloblocki said. “But it just made me mad because I couldn’t prove myself on the field and end the chirps by scoring goals.”
The Offensive Midfielder, with 18 goals in 6 games, is on pace for 51 goals if he played a full seventeen-game season, placing him in the Panthers’ top 10 for single-season goals as just a Sophomore. With the contributions from the two returning Beverly has found themselves in the win column 4 times in 6 games.
“I think our team is good enough to go to the state championship.” Costa said. “I believe in my guys and I think if we collectively work hard we can get there.”
