The men’s lacrosse team put together solid efforts in two straight contests to win their fifth and then sixth straight games in weekend victories over Colby and Tufts.
The Cardinals traveled to Maine on Friday night to close out the regular season with a Saturday afternoon match up against the Mules, and came away with a 12-6 win in a relaxed game that never saw the Cards without a lead or control. The season-capping victory solidified their seeding for the NESCAC playoffs and earned them home field advantage for the first round, setting the stage for a Sunday match up with Tufts. The Cardinals jumped all over the Jumbos in the first half, taking a 7-1 lead into the second, and then weathered some offensive sputtering to hang on for the 9-7 victory.
After six straight wins, the Cardinals have worked their way back into Division III’s top twenty, and are ranked 17th overall heading into round two of the NESCAC tourney.
“The last six successful games are the result of strong goal tending and a renewed movement on offense,” said Phil Amidon ’05.
With the attack healthy and rolling, the offense has been generating opportunities and converting at an efficient 35 percent over the past several games. Despite being out shot by both teams this weekend, the attack has been working hard to take the right shot and got contributions from nine different Cardinals over the productive set. Chris Knacke ’05 had six points in a standout weekend for the senior, leading all scorers with four huge goals in the game against Tufts while freshman Chris Jasinski ’08 stepped up in both contests to provide some unexpected weaponry from the midfield, picking up three assists and two goals. Mike Hines ’07 and Mike Vitulano ’06 drove the offensive charge on Saturday, as both midfielders worked for hat tricks. On the defensive end, the Cardinals have been consistently stingy over the past three weeks, making it harder for teams to get good looks, and giving the offense a competitive edge.
“Paul Malangone and the defense have been exceptionally tough for us,” said Matt Wheeler ’05. “They’ve been able to force the other team to take rushed shots, and when the defense packs it in and plays six on six, they are dangerous.”
“Charlie has made a great impact on the team play,” Amidon said. “His ability to clear the ball has helped our team push transition and score goals, and that has elevated our game.”
The Cardinals will take on Little Three rival Amherst in their second NESCAC tournament game, as the Jeffs come off of a convincing 17-7 victory over the Camels of Conn.
“We need to approach this game like we have the last six,” Wheeler said. “If we play team defense, win the ground ball war and take good shots on offense, we can be a very strong team. Knowing we have beaten them in the past shows us that if we take care of business, the results will speak for themselves.”
“We are still having trouble putting a full four quarters together but I’m optimistic we’ll come out strong against the Jeffs,” Amidon said.
With those sentiments in mind, the Cardinals will have the week ahead to prepare for the game. Over some of the off weeks this season, the team has divided into two teams, pitting the freshman and sophomores against the upperclassmen in a traditional intra squad match up. To stay sharp, the team will play out the rubber match of that three game series on Wednesday. Mike “el boyo” Walsh, previously a major factor for the young guys in these contests, may be hampered by a bruised arm, and the junior/senior team is looking to go out on top.
The match up with Amherst is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday at Middlebury.
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