The Walter Johnson Boys Lacrosse team wrapped up an impressive 2026 season with an 11-4 overall record, a major turnaround from last year’s 6-6 finish. Fueled by explosive offense and strong senior leadership, the Wildcats established themselves as one of the top teams in the region. Throughout the season, the team rallied around one message that became the soul of the program: #StayGreen – a slogan representing unity and pride in WJ lacrosse.
The Cats opened the playoffs in a dominant fashion, with a commanding 13-2 first-round victory over Churchill HS at home on May 6th. Controlling the game from start to finish, senior Elijah Hoffman-Byer led the scoring with four goals, while senior captain Henry Dash added three. Junior Sebastian Zuniga scored twice, and sophomore Owen Struzziero contributed to one goal in the blowout win.
The Wildcats followed that performance with one of the most thrilling games of their season, a dramatic 12-11 road victory over Quince Orchard Cougars Boys Lacrosse in the second round on May 8th. Dash once again led the offense with three goals, while senior Ian Perry and Elijah each scored twice. Sophomores Owen Altman and Struzz found the back of the net.
The defining moment of the game came in the final minutes, when senior goalie and captain Evan Ryder delivered a clutch performance to close out the game. Ryder recorded four saves in the final two minutes, including a game-saving stop in the closing seconds, sending Walter Johnson to the regional finals.
“My main thing is keeping a 10 second memory, so when QO started coming back, I just had to forget the goals they scored and focus on the next save. Be a goldfish, like Ted Lasso says,” Ryder said.
Walter Johnson’s postseason run sadly came to an end in the regional championship against rival BCC Barons on May 11th. Despite a hard fought effort and being up five at halftime, the Cats fell 11-9 in a competitive battle. Zuniga and Hoffman-Byer tallied three goals each while junior long stick mid-fielder Luke Notaro held up the defense with 5 ground balls and 3 turnovers.
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Senior captain and goalie Evan Ryder warms up for the Regional Quarterfinal game against Churchill HS. The Cats blew the Bulldogs out scoring 13 goals and Ryder only allowing 2 in the back of the cage. (Courtesy Liam Snow)
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Goal after Goal, senior captain Henry Dash helped lead the charge against Churchill HS, adding three goals to the board. (Courtesy Liam Snow)
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Senior Elijah Hoffman-Byer waits for the defensive side to clear the ball to the attacking third, being a key piece of the Wildcats’ explosive offense all season long. (Courtesy Liam Snow)
Even with the devastating loss, the season marked a huge step forward for the program. The Wildcats finished with an 8-3 regional record while scoring 166 goals and allowing only 98 all season. Their improvement and leadership helped turn the Cats into a serious contender and helped lay the foundation for success in years to come.
“One word to describe this year’s team was fun. We had a lot of fun together both on and off the field and overall we got along very well and got so much closer as a team,” Notaro said.
With 16 seniors graduating, WJMensLax will look to rebuild and have similar success in the 2026-2027 season.
