The chilly winter air slowly set over the field as the clock set to 12:00 and the Coppell boys lacrosse team pulled on its helmets. 

After the 10-day break, many players were rusty and needed time to get back in the game. The game was riddled with fouls, injuries, defensive errors and slow starts. Play stopped for nearly 15 minutes in the second quarter after a Plano West goalkeeper was hit in the head twice. 

“We came into the game eager to play and came in with good energy,” Coppell senior defender Colton Delk said. “We came in good for being off for ten days without practice. We were rusty and a little behind where we would have been [without a break].”

The Cowboys won its season opener, 16-6, against Plano West last night at Coppell Middle School North.

With 6:06 left in the first quarter, Coppell senior midfielder Andrew Sullivan scored the first goal of the night, which the team used to build momentum throughout the game. By the end of the first quarter, Coppell held the lead, 4-0.

At a score of 7-3, the Cowboys attempted multiple shots, two of which hit the Plano West goalkeeper in the head and a 15-minute stoppage to tend to the injured player. 

[After the 15-minute stall] we played with all our heart and didn’t give up,” Coppell senior attackman Dylon Colon said. “We had a few people get into some scrums at the end there, but we took care of our own.”

Ten seconds after the game resumed, Colon scored off a pass from Coppell senior attacker Gavin Osteen. The Cowboys entered the half at a score of 8-3.

“[During the half we focused on] not letting Plano West come back in the game,” Osteen said. “[Coppell coach Matt Mueller] talked to us about how [Plano West] felt like they were already back in the game and that they could come back, but he told us to ‘put the nail in the coffin’ and keep going forward.”

The Cowboys came out ready to dominate in the second half, it pushed past Plano West and let the ball ricochet between teammates before landing in the goal. 

“[The win means a lot] it’s our first legit win of the season and it feels good to come out with a win,” Osteen said. “It gets us in the right mindset for our upcoming games.”

The Cowboys hosts IMG Academy Wednesday at Lesley Field, faceoff at 5:30 p.m.

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