Building upon last year's success, Orange Lutheran boys lacrosse enters the new season with high expectations and is ready to take the field.

Last season saw the Lancers earn a spot in the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs for the first time in program history, marking the third time OLu advanced to the postseason. 

This year, the program has approximately 40 players competing across the JV and varsity teams, including several multi-sport athletes. The varsity roster features a strong sophomore class and welcomes back two of last season's leading goal scorers, seniors Nolan Connelly and Austin Madden, both of whom are returning from injury.

"Nolan is ready to go for our season opener," says OLu boys lacrosse head coach John Padama-Rooney. "We've felt the difference in leadership when he's at practice, and we've certainly felt the difference in competitive edge offensively when he's out on that field. The same can be said for Austin. His presence immediately gives an extra boost of positivity to the boys, an extra level of encouragement and an extra layer of confidence."

Padama-Rooney will also be looking to sophomore Danny Erickson and junior Donovan Fuehrer to make an impact offensively this season.

Defensively, the Lancers are on the younger side, but three-year varsity player Lucas Winter is expected to anchor the unit.

"He's definitely stepping up into that role this year," says OLu boys lacrosse associate head coach Kenan Ressler. "It's a role that he's been waiting for, and I think that throughout the offseason and with everything that we're prepping him for, he's ready."

The Lancers will begin their run back to the postseason on February 17 when they host Yorba Linda. Other key nonleague matchups include Tesoro (March 19) and Martin Luther King, the defending CIF-SS Division 3 champions (April 2). Trinity League play begins March 26 in a home contest on Montell Field versus Mater Dei.

Both Padama-Rooney and Ressler are looking forward to seeing this group build on the foundation laid by previous classes and make its own mark on the program.

"I think this year is going to be a big year for them to build individually and build confidence within themselves to actually know that they can do it," says Ressler.

"A big philosophy of mine with coaching is just control the controllables and don't worry about all the outside noise," added Padama-Rooney. "As long as we're hustling, working hard, showing heart, we're staying enthusiastic and energetic on the sidelines and we're building our teammates up… we will have our successes."