Boys Varsity Lacrosse | 4/9/2025 10:05:00 AM

The Union Catholic boys lacrosse team won their first game of the season in dramatic fashion when senior AJ Kwiatkowski scored in overtime to give the Vikings a thrilling 6-5 victory over Bergen Tech on Tuesday in Paramus.

With the victory, the Vikings evened their record at 1-1 and presented first-year head coach Michael Manousos with his first career victory.

The Vikings, who showed a lot of heart and resiliency to earn this win, overcame the loss of multiple key starters and received huge contributions from their entire lineup.

James DeFrancesco and Gavin Panratz led the charge offensively, scoring two goals each, Andrew Miller scored a goal, and Kwiatkowski had two assists in addition to his game-winning goal. Defensively, goalie Luke Chiang was outstanding, making 18 saves, including two game-saving stops in overtime, and Peter Slingerland anchored a strong performance by the UC long-stick crew.

The Vikings will seek to improve to 2-1 when they play Morris Catholic at 4 p.m. on Thursday in their home opener.