CCS boys' lacrosse: Mink's goal in OT lifts Stevenson to its first CCS title
ATHERTON — In what has been a common theme after each win, players for Stevenson often head towards the goalie — considered the rock of the program.
This time it was a mad dash, a sprint towards the opposite end of the lacrosse field Saturday with teammates following Fin Mink in a wild celebration.
The school’s all-league leading passer in football, Mink added another keepsake moment to his resume, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to lead the Pirates to an 8-7 win over Menlo-Atherton in the Central Coast Section Division II title game.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Stevenson coach Cooper Kehoe, who was running late to a wedding. “We’ve worked hard to get to this place. Now we’re part of the history books.”
The title was the first in the program’s illustrious history, which began 40-plus years ago when former coach Jeff Young took players down to Southern California to compete when there was no CCS for lacrosse.
“Coach Young was the first person I thought of after the game,” said Kehoe, who played under Young in 2007, and took over for him a decade ago. “He created the foundation. I’ve just tried to follow his lead.”
The section crown was the fourth this year for Stevenson and second this week, as the boys golf team won a CCS title last Tuesday. The girls’ water polo team and girls’ golf team also won section championships last fall.
“It was the kind of game you dream about,” Kehoe said. “It is what you draw up in the backyard. You’ve got possession in overtime. Next goal wins the title.”
With the game tied in regulation, a penalty gave the Pirates possession and a man up. Yet, instead of trying to win it in regulation, Kehoe had his players hold the ball for the final nine seconds, as the penalty carried over into overtime.
“We knew we’d start with possession in overtime, a man up,” Kehoe said. “The penalty carried over for 51 seconds. Fin took a pass from Derek Diniz, face dodged, spun and put it in the net.”
What followed was pandemonium as players on the sidelines began chasing Mink in a celebration for the ages for Stevenson, who was seeded No. 1 in Division II, but was forced to play at Menlo-Atherton because it was a pre-determined playoff site.
“You pause for a second, then the sideline erupts,” Kehoe said. “The reaction when the game is over is you gravitate towards your goalie. Fin scored and just started running in celebration in his direction.”
As sticks and gloves went flying in the air, Kehoe took it all in with his coaching staff, embracing the moment, while never leaving the sidelines.
“I just soaked it in,” Kehoe said. “I looked at the coaches and just stayed in the moment. I just got lost in it. To see our labor and the finished product was special.”
Perennial powers in the county, the Pirates struggled at times this year just to get to .500, finishing second in the Gabilan Division to Los Gatos.
“There’s always a purpose when scheduling teams outside our league,” Kehoe said. “That’s not a shot at our league. The first half of the season, we weren’t at full strength. We finally got to that place.”
Mink, Quinn Russell and Topher Moan each collected two goals for the Pirates, while Diniz had a goal and two assists. Grady Roth added a goal, with Connor Aeschliman finishing with three assists.
Goalie Aaden Ornelas came up with a number of massive stops between the pipes, while Laird Welch shut down Menlo-Atherton with his tenacious defense.
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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 5:09 PM.