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The Berkeley High boys’ lacrosse team started off the second half of their league season with a bang, thoroughly dominating favored Marin Catholic, 13-3, for their third straight win. 

When the two teams met nearly a month ago, the Wildcats came out on top 14-5. According to Berkeley head coach John Rubin, the turnaround between the first game and Thursday’s was all about the ’Jackets. 

“Everyone played their best game today, offense, defense, guys off the bench,” Rubin said. “That was about twice as well as we’ve ever played.” 

The key to that improvement was the health of star attacker Nick Schooler. Schooler scored six goals in the game, including five in the first half, for his highest scoring game ever. Schooler has been held back by a nagging ankle injury since the beginning of the season, and is finally fully healed. 

“I had a dream last night, that I was out there making good cuts and scoring goals,” Schooler said. “I just came out hard, and had my best game.” 

Schooler got help from midfielder Stefan Isaksen, who scored five goals and had one assist. Isaksen was the team’s leading scorer while Schooler was hurt, but he said he knows his place is in a supporting role. 

“Nick’s the better player, he’s just been hurt,” Isaksen said. “We can help take the pressure off of each other.” 

Isaksen kicked off the scoring halfway through the opening quarter, then Schooler went to work. He drove through two Wildcat defenders for his first goal, then pulled off a spectacular play that set the tone for the entire game. When the Marin Catholic goalie made a lazy pass from his crease, Schooler snagged the ball while fully extended, then went 40 yards with the ball before putting it in the net for a 3-0 Berkeley lead. The Wildcats looked stunned to be down to a team they had dominated just weeks ago, and were rocked back on their heels.  

“I think we really took them out of their game in the first quarter, and they just never recovered,” Rubin said. 

But Berkeley attacker Joe Rabinowitz missed two point-blank chances, and Marin Catholic managed to pull back a goal just before the end of the period. 

But Schooler wasn’t entertaining any thoughts of a comeback. He slammed home a pass from teammate Jesse Cohen early in the second, then used a nifty spin move to get free for another goal a minute later. By this time the Wildcat defense was keyed on him, and Isaksen took advantage. Strolling with the ball far from the Marin Catholic goal, he casually dropped the ball. When his defender came out at him, however, Isaksen picked up the ball and blew by him for another goal. 

Not to be outdone, Schooler again spun through the Wildcat defense for a goal. Isaksen answered right back with a solo effort from long range to give the ’Jackets a 8-1 halftime lead. 

Both teams bunkered in on defense in the third quarter, and the only score came from Berkeley’s Andrew Moskovitz. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, it was obvious that Berkeley had done away with any sense of superiority the Wildcats may have had. Marin Catholic started committing frustration fouls, and Schooler took advantage. He scored his sixth and final goal of the game with a two-man advantage.  

“Nick’s an exciting player, and he pumps our guys up,” Rubin said. 

The Wildcats managed two goals in the period, but were the victims of one final humiliation with just seconds left on the clock. Isaksen was holding the ball well outside the crease with time running down, and Rubin told him to take one more shot. As instructed, Isaksen whistled a rifle shot into the upper corner of the goal, and stood as is disbelief of what he had just done. 

“That was just a fun shot. I didn’t think it would go in,” Isaksen said. “It was a real crowd-pleaser.”