Goa men’s team put up a spirited performance at the 3rd Lacrosse Federation Cup held in Himachal Pradesh, bowing out in the quarterfinal stage after an impressive run in the league phase.
Led by captain Moshe Devappa and guided by player-cum-head coach Mangesh Pawar, Goa began their campaign on a dominant note, blanking Jammu & Kashmir 5-0 with goals from Siddharth Desai (1), Sarvam Deulkar (2), Mahesh Kandkura (1) and Swapnil Desai (1).
They continued their fine form in the second pool match, outclassing Pondicherry 7-0 through a clinical attacking display led by Siddharth (4), Swapnil (2) and Sarvam (1). In a closely-fought final league encounter against Maharashtra, Goa narrowly lost 6-7 despite strong contributions from Siddharth (2), Sarvam (1), Swapnil (1) and Mahesh (1), with the opposition scoring the decisive goal in the dying moments.
Qualifying for the quarter-finals, Goa faced Rajasthan but went down 1-3, with Swapnil netting the lone goal. Other members of the team included Gautam Gaude and Pratik Panshikar, as Goa showcased grit, teamwork and promising potential at the national stage.
