Sports editor Saoirse Byrne sums up an epic Varsity match that just slipped out of reach for KCL Men’s Lacrosse.
An overcast day at New Malden Sports Ground provided a fitting backdrop for a dramatic tale of redemption this Saturday. KCL Lacrosse had a point to prove: last year’s Varsity spelled disappointment for both Men’s and Women’s teams, but surely now, on home turf, after a successful season for both King’s sides, the odds would be in their favour.
Each match began with a minute’s silence to honour the memory of KCL student Aalia Mahomed, who tragically died this week after a crash on Strand Campus. The gesture of respect for Mahomed, along with the two other students who were injured in the crash, will be repeated for all Varsity fixtures this season – a mark of solidarity amongst the student communities of both KCL and UCL.
The Men’s team were first to kick off. They would have gone into the match with high expectations considering they play a league above UCL, who have also had a particularly unsuccessful season. The opposition proved early on, however, that they were not to be underestimated, matching King’s goals in the first quarter and going into half time with a narrow 4-3 lead. UCL proved to be particularly strong at the faceoff – a real problem for King’s, forcing them onto the backfoot at the start of most restarts.
The third quarter was devastating for King’s, with two goals in quick succession shifting the momentum firmly in UCL’s favour. As the minutes ticked down, King’s seemed to regain some composure, particularly in defence. Despite the opposition knocking at the door time and time again, the ball rarely seemed to actually find the net. This was in great part due to the mammoth effort put in by goalkeeper James Press, who kept King’s in the game with his skills between the posts.
As the game wore on, both teams became more and more passionate, with aggressive outbursts – both at other players and at the referees – became common. One UCL player became especially agitated at KCL attackman and captain Elias Lepore, screaming ‘I’ll fuck you up!’ after a decision appeared not to go his way. King’s responded with a well-timed goal which seemed to pick up morale both on and off the pitch. UCL chose to take a timeout at this point – perhaps to cool off and reflect.
On their return, they once again were causing chaos within KCL’s defensive half, but to no avail. This provided a great base upon which to build a thrilling comeback, but King’s seemed far more confident when off the ball than on it. Handling was sloppy when they were in possession, and they were unable to capitalise on UCL mistakes and moments where the ball was in neither team’s possession, which greatly impeded their ability to create goal-scoring opportunities.
The game was put on pause for around 10 minutes for a KCL injury, which became a great cause for concern as the St John Ambulance medical staff had inexplicably left the pitch. This lead to one of the women’s team – who were warming up for their own fixture – having to locate them, eventually finding them in the clubhouse where they stated they were ‘avoiding the rain’. The decision to remove themselves from the pitch, and their utter lack of urgency when returning to treat the injured player, can only be described as shameful. Roar and others also noted that during the Ultimate Frisbee game – which was taking place on the pitch opposite – the staff sauntered over with no urgency to treat a player with a suspected head injury. The four first aiders spent the majority of the fixtures watching neither game and providing no assistance until they were fetched by spectators. At the end of the Men’s Lacrosse game, all four returned to the clubhouse with an injured UCL player, leaving the Women’s game without any medical staff present. A KCLSU spokesperson confirmed that the medical staff were arranged by the clubs themselves, who declined the SU’s offer to provide their own first aider.
Play resumed with minutes left in the final quarter, and the short break had King’s fired up and ready to cause some problems. A spectacular sequence of play saw Press clear the ball from King’s own net into a midfielder, who executed a perfect cross to fellow midfielder Fluky Suwannarung who didn’t hesitate to fire it straight into the goal. The score was 6-7 to UCL: King’s were back in the game.
The final two minutes were a furious battle for the title. As ever, pressure and high stakes lead to rash decisions, and KCL captain Elias Lepore found himself giving away a penalty in UCL’s half for a high stick. Not one to give up, Lepore – who had been a standout player all match – pounced on the penalty taker, winning back the ball as quickly as it was lost. Seconds left; one last chance at redemption. Despite the best efforts of KCL’s attackmen, the ball failed to find its mark. The game ended on a bitter 6-7 to UCL.
Though King’s Men’s Lacrosse may have to wait another year to claim the Varsity title, their passion and fire made for a brilliant watch, and we can’t wait to see them come back with a vengeance in 2026. KCL Lacrosse still had much to celebrate by the end of the night, as the Women’s team pulled off a spectacular comeback to win their game 14-10.
