Friday night, 7:00 p.m. at Lakota West marks game number one of the redemption tour for the Knights lacrosse team. Following a tough season last year, the knights look to start a strong 2022 campaign with a bang on Friday. 

“Last year wasn’t as good as we wanted it to be, but we’ll definitely be back and better this year,” Junior Captain Nick Hoying said. 

After a bitter end to last season in the playoffs, Hoying and the Knights have been itching to get back on the field for almost 10 months. 

“As soon as last year ended, I started thinking about this year and how both myself and the team can improve and have a season we can be proud of,” Hoying said. 

Last year, the season started and ended with Lakota West, with losses in both the first game and first round of the playoffs. 

“West is always really solid and will be a tough game. I think if we can beat them it will be a really good sign for the rest of the year,” Hoying said. 

The Knights return 7 starters from the 7-10 season, including captains Nick Hoying, A.J. Johnson, Mason Smith, and Riley Platter. 

“Being named as a captain is really cool, especially as an underclassman,” Johnson said. 

The sophomore midfielder battled an injury for the majority of last season, making this his first opening day of his high school career. 

“I’m super excited to be back out there after missing a lot of games last year. I feel like we have some unfinished business and should be pretty successful this year. I hope as a captain I can be a leader on the team and help us have a good year” Johnson said. 

Another sophomore, Riley Platter recalls the disappointment of last year contrasted with the excitement he feels now. “We have really high expectations for ourselves, especially after being pretty disappointed at the tough loss we had to West in the playoffs,” Platter said. The sophomore is filled with optimism about what is to come this spring.

“I feel like winning the ECC is definitely in reach for us if we play to our potential and stay healthy,” Platter said.