Wayzata senior captain Adam Grooms tends to his teammates, whether off the field or on it.

Grooms not only brings freshman lacrosse players to practice, but also ensures their involvement in the program. 

The midfielder also finishes games when his team needs him most.

Grooms came through for the Trojans on Thursday, scoring three fourth-quarter goals to propel Wayzata to a 10-8 victory over Eagan in the regular-season finale at Eagan High School. 

The Trojans struggled to create scoring opportunities early in the game, but Grooms and his teammates eventually solved the Wildcats’ defensive strategy and took advantage.

“It was early in the second quarter that we realized we had to play against a zone defense,” said Grooms, who finished the game with four goals and an assist. “That was hard on us because we normally play against man.”

After making the adjustment, Wayzata outscored Eagan 9-6 to pull out the victory.

Communication was key in helping the Trojans overcome the Wildcats' game plan, and Grooms made sure his teammates got the message.  

It’s a role Grooms has no problem playing.

“When something needs to be said or someone isn’t doing their job, [Grooms will] definitely let them know in a good way that they respect,” Wayzata coach Chad Herr said. “He never calls anyone out in a negative way. When he says it, they understand it and believe it and go work hard.”

That ability has made Grooms well-liked and respected by his teammates, Herr added. 

"He doesn’t have any type of senior attitude; he sees everyone as part of the team,” Herr said. “He doesn’t care how old people are and treats everyone equal. He gets a lot of respect that way.”

His season stats also garner respect. Grooms is tied for the team lead in goals with 20 and is fourth in points with 31, both impressive totals on a Trojans team stacked with talent and ranked third in the poll provided by the Minnesota State High School Boys' Lacrosse Coaches Association.

Yet Grooms, who plans to study computer science at Indiana University next year, stands above the rest of his accomplished teammates in one area: his persona.

“He is a really nice kid,” Herr said. “He’s one of the nicest men I know.”

Grooms’ late-game heroics weren’t so nice for Eagan. In the final quarter, he scored three consecutive goals in five minutes to give Wayzata just its second lead of the game. The Trojans took a 1-0 advantage midway through the first quarter on a goal by Charlie Chermak, but had to play catch-up the rest of the way. 

Trailing by one early in the fourth, Grooms' first goal tied the score at 7-7. He continued firing shot after shot, and the barrage netted two more goals to propel his team into a 9-7 lead with less than four minutes remaining to play. 

Herr wasn’t surprised Grooms came up with multiple big plays when Wayzata needed them.

“He hustles up and down the field every play and gets himself in a good position on defense and on offense,” Herr said. “He’s just a really good shooter, and he’s always been a clutch player for the last couple of years.”

Herr said Wayzata will continue to depend on Grooms to guide the Trojans through the section tournament and potentially on to the state tournament.

“We expect him to continue what he’s doing: score goals and score them in clutch times,” Herr said. “I think he’ll do well (in the postseason).”

As a team leader, Grooms also must be a rock that his team clings to when faced with adversity and make sure each of his teammates stays focused.

“Being a senior leader and vocal, you have to be calm,” Grooms said. “Really, you have to keep everyone in it and be able to finish.”

Senior midfielder Adam Grooms registered four goals and an assist to lift Wayzata to a 10-8 victory over Eagan in a nonconference matchup Thursday at Eagan High School.

Seniors Max Stecker tallied two goals and four assists while Amar Batra finished with two goals and an assist for the Trojans (11-1), ranked No. 3 in coaches poll provided by the Minnesota State High School Boys’ Lacrosse Coaches Association.

Wayzata and Eagan struggled to get their offenses going early, as both found limited scoring chances against smothering defenses that were as constant as the 60-degree temperatures and windless weather. 

The Trojans were the first to break through, as senior attackman Charlie Chermak scored 7 minutes, 29 seconds into the first quarter.

The Wildcats (6-7) responded with three goals over the next 12 minutes and took a 4-2 lead with 3:30 to play in the second quarter on a shorthanded goal from senior attackman Kevin Sturgeon.

Wayzata, however, quickly pulled even. With less than two minutes to play in the second, Max Stecker and Chermak scored 40 seconds apart and the Trojans headed to halftime with the game tied 4-4.

The back-and-forth game continued in the second half. Eagan held a 6-5 lead late in the third quarter, but Barta brought the Trojans level as he deked three defenders before putting the ball in the Wildcats’ net. 

Grooms changed the game in the fourth. The senior midfielder tallied three consecutive goals, flipping a 7-6 Trojans’ deficit into a 9-7 lead with 3:07 left to play. The hat trick moves Grooms into a tie for the team lead in goals this season with 20.

Barta notched his second goal with two minutes remaining, and Sturgeon tallied his third just eight seconds later to close out the scoring.

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