Record-Breaking Season

A Season of Promise

The 2022 Mariners entered the season with lofty expectations. Senior midfielder Kale Lampman had already committed to play Division I lacrosse at Long Island University, and alongside fellow senior Aidan Niklaus, the duo formed one of the most dangerous attacking combinations in PCAL history.

The Mariners kicked off the season with a dominant showing at a February 26 tournament, dismantling Palma 16-5 and Scotts Valley 12-8 in convincing fashion. The offense was relentless from the opening face-off. Lampman, Niklaus, and Curran combined for double-digit points, creating the kind of three-headed attack that opposing coaches had no answer for.

Momentum Building

March opened with a bang as the Mariners routed Salinas 18-12 in their league opener on March 4. But the month also brought the season's toughest tests. On March 9, Stevenson handed Aptos its first loss, 18-12, in a game that revealed the gap between the league's top two teams. Just two days later, Live Oak edged the Mariners 12-11 in overtime—a heartbreaker that tested the team's resolve.

The response was emphatic. Aptos bounced back with a tight 9-8 win over Carmel on March 16, then cruised past Palma 12-7 on March 25. A non-league victory over Sobrato (16-2) on March 30 capped the month at 4-2.

March was Aidan Niklaus at his best. The 6-foot-3 senior attackman racked up assists at a program-record pace, threading passes into seams that only he could see. When defenses collapsed on Lampman, Niklaus made them pay.

Championship Push

April was all business for the Mariners, who reeled off five straight wins to solidify their playoff position. San Benito fell twice—17-8 on April 1 and 15-2 on April 20—as the offense continued to pile up goals. The Live Oak rematch on April 22 brought redemption: a 16-11 victory that avenged March’s overtime heartbreak.

Kale Lampman continued his assault on the program record books. His scoring touch was remarkable—he seemed to find the cage from any angle, at any distance. Opposing defenses tried doubling him, tripling him, but it only opened up opportunities for Niklaus and Curran.

A 20-12 demolition of Salinas on April 25 and a 16-14 thriller over Carmel on April 27 capped an unbeaten month. With the playoff picture taking shape, the Mariners had positioned themselves firmly in second place behind Stevenson.

Making History

May brought the regular season to a dramatic close. On May 2, Stevenson once again proved too much, handing the Mariners a 4-16 defeat. But the loss was a footnote—Aptos had already clinched second place and a historic CCS playoff berth. The Santa Cruz Sentinel noted Lampman had “shattered the program’s single-season scoring record” with 113 points heading into the final week. Three days later, the Mariners closed out the regular season with a statement: a 19-8 rout of Palma on May 5, as Lampman pushed his total toward his final mark of 118 points.

“We’re setting the bar for Aptos lacrosse,” Coach Bill Ciancio said. The senior class—led by Lampman, Niklaus, Hood, Curran, and Luis—had delivered on their promise to elevate the program.

The CCS playoff journey ended at Menlo-Atherton, where the Mariners ran into a buzzsaw. The 1-16 loss was a reminder of the gap between competing in league and at the section level. But no scoreline could erase what this senior class had built. For a program that had never made the postseason, just being there was the breakthrough. The 2022 Mariners finished 12-4 overall and 9-3 in league play, establishing a new standard for the program. The offense poured in 214 goals in just 16 games — third-most in program history — at a rate of 13.38 per game that only the 2025 championship squad would surpass.

In the weeks following the season, the accolades poured in. Kale Lampman was named PCAL Gabilan Division Offensive Player of the Year and later received USA Lacrosse All-American honors—the first All-American in program history. His final stat line of 83 goals and 35 assists for 118 points remains the program's single-season record. Aidan Niklaus finished with 45 goals and 40 assists for 85 points, earning first-team All-Gabilan honors alongside senior defenseman Ryan Hood.

Niklaus would go on to represent Switzerland at the 2023 World Lacrosse Men's Championship. Senior defender JJ O'Hara went on to play at Cal Poly Humboldt, where he earned All-Conference honors and a Scholar Athlete distinction.