A Season of Close Calls

A Season of Close Calls

The 2019 Mariners entered the spring with a roster in transition. Coach Rob Quinn's squad was anchored by senior Will Patterson but defined by its youth — freshmen Aidan Niklaus, Kale Lampman, and Jack Curran all stepped into major roles from day one. The team was still finding its identity in the competitive PCAL Gabilan Division. The season opener against San Benito set the tone for what was to come: a heartbreaking 9-10 loss in which Niklaus announced his arrival with five goals. Patterson added a goal and three assists, Lampman contributed two goals and two assists, and senior goalie Matt Morse made 13 saves in a losing effort.

The margins were agonizing. Five losses came by two goals or fewer. Against Palma, the Mariners clawed back from a deficit only to fall 10-11. At Pacific Grove, they traded haymakers in a 15-16 loss that felt like a regulation game and an overtime game crammed into one. At Scotts Valley, another 9-10 finish. A single save, a single ground ball, a single extra possession — any of those would have rewritten the record. The talent was there. The experience to close wasn't. Not yet.

The wins, when they came, proved the roster had more to give. A 13-9 victory over Santa Cruz broke the ice, and then the defense clamped down for a stunning 4-1 shutout of Scotts Valley at home — the kind of result that reminded everyone this team could suffocate an opponent when the effort matched the talent. Patterson and Niklaus were the driving force all year, combining for 78 goals and 21 assists. The two-game win streak gave the team a glimpse of what was possible, and a gritty 10-9 road win at Hollister proved the Mariners could close out tight games.

Seeds for the Future

When the postseason awards were announced, the talent on the roster was undeniable. Senior Will Patterson earned All-PCAL Gabilan Division First Team honors, while junior Ian Forsberg was named to the Second Team. Senior goalie Matt Morse was recognized on the Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team, a fitting tribute to his steady presence between the pipes all season.

Multi-sport star Marcos Reyes, who joined the lacrosse team for his final semester at Aptos, brought an infectious energy to the program. The football standout and eventual Sentinel Co-Boys Athlete of the Year won 35 faceoffs and scooped six ground balls in his lone lacrosse season, admitting he never quite learned to catch but loved to hit people. His willingness to try something new as a senior embodied the team-first culture Quinn was building.

Flip the record upside down and the season reads differently: a freshman with 41 goals, a senior who'd go on to play MCLA D-I, a goalie who earned an All-Sportsmanship nod, and five losses where a single play could have changed everything. The foundation for the program's resurgence wasn't just being laid — it was being tested, hardened by close losses that would teach the returning players how to finish.

The Goalkeeper

In a season defined by razor-thin margins, senior Matt Morse was the reason most of those games stayed close. Behind a young defense still finding its footing, Morse's consistency in the cage — 13 saves in the opener alone — kept the Mariners within striking distance night after night. His All-Sportsmanship recognition was a testament to the way he carried himself through a difficult year.