Panaji: Goa’s men’s team delivered an impressive campaign at the 3rd Lacrosse Federation Cup in Himachal Pradesh before their run ended in the quarterfinals against Rajasthan.
Led by captain Moshe Devappa and player-cum-head coach Mangesh Pawar, Goa dominated the league phase with aggressive attacking displays and disciplined defending.
Goa opened their campaign in commanding fashion with a 5-0 victory over Jammu & Kashmir. Siddharth Desai set the tone with a goal, while Sarvam Deulkar struck twice. Mahesh Kandkura and Swapnil Desai also found the target as Goa controlled proceedings from start to finish.
The side followed it up with another one-sided performance, thrashing Pondicherry 7-0 in their second pool fixture. Siddharth starred with four goals, Swapnil added a brace and Sarvam chipped in with another as Goa’s attack overwhelmed the opposition.
Their final league encounter against Maharashtra produced the tournament’s most competitive contest for Goa. Despite goals from Siddharth, Sarvam, Swapnil and Mahesh, Goa suffered a narrow 6-7 defeat after Maharashtra snatched the winner in the closing moments.
The result, however, was enough to secure a place in the quarterfinals where Goa faced Rajasthan. Goa fought hard but were unable to recover after falling behind, eventually going down 1-3 with Swapnil scoring their lone goal of the match.
