The Saint Ignatius varsity lacrosse team will be heading West in the spring.
The Wildcats will travel to battle three top teams from Southern California in spring 2018. The journey will be the first under new head lacrosse coach Gary Cintron.
The success and ascent of the Saint Ignatius lacrosse program in recent years has culminated in this important trip, by far the lengthiest in the history of the program.
The Lax Cats, on the heels of back-to-back trips to the state championship game, will depart on March 30, 2018. The Wildcats will face Coronado High School, Torrey Pines High School, and Loyola (LA) High School. All three programs are well-respected in Southern California lacrosse. Loyola LA and Torrey Pines near the top of last season’s final Under Armour / Inside Lacrosse high school lacrosse rankings, coming in at the No. 4 and No. 5 teams in the entire West region, respectively.
Plenty of talent will return this season for the Wildcats. Ohio State University commit Anthony Ameo '18, University of Michigan commit Michael Boehm '20, and Trinity College commit Chris Larsen '18 will be among the leaders this season. Cintron, hired as head coach in July, also brings a track record of success at all levels of lacrosse. Most recently, Cintron helped Cleveland State University launch a Division I men's lacrosse program.
The journey to Southern California will be a milestone for the Lax Cats.
“We are excited for our team to get the opportunity to play not only some of the best competition in the Midwest this upcoming season, but also some of the best teams nationally,” Cintron said.
The lacrosse program joins a number of other athletic teams at Saint Ignatius to develop a well-traveled schedule. The Rugby Cats journeyed to Paris, France last season and are planning trips to Kansas City and another big destination. The varsity prep hockey team will travel to Toronto, Washington D.C., and other destinations this winter.
"We want to challenge our boys against the best talent out there, and for Saint Ignatius to play the best schedule of any program in Cleveland," Cintron said. "Trips like this are a great way to do just that.”