PLANO:  The Varsity Lacrosse team played host to Bridge Lacrosse on Tuesday as JPII looked to continue its winning ways following an 18-2 thumping of Bishop Lynch two weeks ago.  The Cardinals and Eagles last faced off back in the spring of 2019 in their inaugural season, winning 13-1, and were scheduled to play last year but the game was scrapped as both squads shut down team activities after the COVID-19 outbreak.  

Both teams made it a point to establish their physicality early on, and fans in attendance witnessed a number of big hits throughout the game.  John Paul II found itself down 0-3 quickly in the first quarter, but senior Robbie Goss responded with the Cards' first goal of the game to make it 3-1 in the waning seconds of the opening frame.  A tough second quarter saw the Eagles extend their lead to 7-1 by the time the halftime buzzer sounded.  

The Cardinals found their footing again in the third quarter, as Goss added his second goal of the game and Jerry DeCarlo added a buzzer beater between the legs of multiple defenders to give JPII some momentum.  Credit to the squad from Bridge Lacrosse, as the visitors shut down the Cards' comeback attempt.  The lone bright spot of the fourth quarter was John Christoforetti's score midway through as John Paul II fell 17-4.  

Bridge seemed to score at will and senior goalie Ryan Doyle had a tough night with pressure in his grill throughout the game.  The visitors dominated the face-off battle, converting on nearly every opportunity.  For the Cardinals, Goss led the way on offense with a pair of goals and an assist.  The senior attacker has now logged at least three points in every game so far this season.  

JPII will look to regroup and bounce back quick on Thursday with a game on the road at Denton.