The Mainland Regional boys lacrosse team has been on fire to start the season, so much so that the bottom of the Mustangs’ cleats might start melting off. The Mustangs have jumped out to a 4-0 start, outscoring their opponents 64-21, and a big key to the offensive explosion has been senior attacker Ryan Swenson. Swenson’s speed and agility make him a very tough matchup for any defense, and he has been one of the leading scorers for Mainland in the first week of the season. In the first four games, he netted 16 goals while also dishing out 16 assists. He also scored the 100th goal of his career in a 21-2 win over Vineland on Friday, earning him our Bunting Family Pharmacy Athlete of the Week honors to start the spring season. “That’s big time. Anybody who scores 100 goals, that’s elite,” teammate Teddy Bergman said after the win over Vineland. “Their name is going to be on the banner inside the gym. They’re always going to be remembered, and it’s really cool to be a part of.” 
Mainland Regional senior attacker Ryan Swenson has 16 goals and nine assists so far for the Mustangs, who are 4-0 and in first place in the Cape-Atlantic League. (Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan) “I’ve been working for it since my freshman year, so it felt good to finally (score 100),” Swenson said. “Coming into the season, I knew I had to get 14 goals to get to 100 and I wanted to do it at home. It’s pretty cool. I’m 32 away from the school record and hoping to break that. We’ll see what happens.” Swenson is now just 31 goals away from the school record after scoring a goal and adding two assists in Mainland’s 15-11 win over Northern Burlington on Saturday. Ethan Irizarry led the way with four goals and four assists against Northern Burlington, and he’s been another guy who has gotten off to a hot start, as has players such as Bergman, Keegan Ford, Andrew Bradley and Nick Loggi. Swenson kicked off his 2016 season with four goals and three assists in Mainland’s 11-3 win over Oakcrest, then followed that up with a 6-goal performance in a 17-5 win over Atlantic City. Against Vineland, Swenson finished with five goals and three assists. He now has 102 career goals. Mainland will be back in action on Monday when they host the Winslow Township Eagles at 4 p.m.
Dave O’Sullivan, Publisher
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