Pace Academy gets back to having 'fun' for back to back wins
On Friday, the North Atlanta Warriors and Pace Academy Knights boys lacrosse teams faced off in a non-region matchup as the Warriors looked to end a three game losing streak and the Knights looked to put together back to back wins for the first time this season. As the game got underway, North Atlanta would take an early 2-0 lead, however Pace would respond with three unanswered goals, including a Grant Chase goal, which would give the Knights a 3-2 lead three and a half minutes into the second quarter.
As the second quarter continued, the Knights would tack on two more goals, extending their lead to three point before the Warriors would finally answer with back to back goals by Max Fancher to make it a 5-4 game in favor of the Pace Academy at the half. As the third quarter got underway, the Knights would open up the period with two unanswered goals to take a 7-4 lead, which they would maintain through the end of the period. In the fourth quarter, the Knights would score three more unanswered goals to take a 10-4 lead and despite multiple shots by the Warriors, would hold on to pick up the 10-5 win.
"When they started having fun, wow, they started having a lot of 'one more, one more' and a lot of goals," Pace Academy head coach Chase Winter said of his players overcoming early season adversities such as injuries to help them pick up their second straight win for the first time this season. "When it comes down to it, it's really about them and trying to keep them in culture because I feel like I can yell all day but to be honest these kids need support," Winter said, adding that more importantly "when they have it (support) from within, it's fun to watch," Winter said.
And while the final outcome of Friday's game resulted in the Knights winning by five goals, Winter praised North Atlanta for how well they game planned against them and get the game close in the first half. "I think North Atlanta did a good job on the scouting reports on us and did a few things and capitalized on us and they punched us in the mouth," Winter said, however he credited his players from their resilience.
"Our guys kind of rebounded through things, they just kind of fixed the little things that they needed to do and that's what helped us rebound to get us over in the third quarter," in which they increased their lead to three before adding two more unanswered goals in the fourth quarter in route to the 10-5 win.
