There are intimidating colors, and then there’s purple. Athletic directors at Amherst and Williams are cursing the day they ever chose such a pansy color scheme, as the men’s lacrosse team captured the Little Three title by beating both teams of purple-clad clowns. After beating Amherst 10-8 last week, the Cards went on to dominate Williams 7-5 at home on Saturday.
With a driving rain pouring down, the squads battled the weather as well as each other the entire afternoon. Wes put together a balanced attack that saw six players get to the net, five for single scores in what was largely a battle of defense and will. Jordan Funt ’06 got to the goal twice for the Cardinals, breaking a 4-4 tie in the fourth period with his second to kick-start a decisive 3-0 run for the red and black. Mike Hines ’07 and Mike Walsh ’06 capitalized on man-advantage situations to net the final two for the Cards.
The win over Williams was the Cards’ third straight, and with two games left before the start of the league playoffs, this run may be the late season push the team has been looking for after a rough opening to the season’s NESCAC schedule.
“Trinity (8-7 in overtime) was a big win for us,” said Matt Wheeler ’05. “It took a little pressure off the guys and we felt relaxed going into the Amherst game. They also wear purple, which I think is a disadvantage for them.”
Key to the Cardinal success of late has been the standout play of some of the squad’s typically unsung heroes. Junior attack Funt has played a crucial role in three straight, dishing out one of his 12 assists for the game winner against Trinity and picking up five goals in the two Little Three contests to add some timely firepower to a frontline that has struggled to stay consistent.
“Stifler [Funt] has always played well against Williams and Amherst,” Wheeler said. “Little Three championships mean a lot to him, and down the stretch he has always seemed to step his game up.”
Also stepping up for the red and black has been goalie Charlie Congleton ’07. Starting in only his second career game against Amherst, Congleton came up with 19 saves to earn a second straight start and played another tight game against Williams in a defensive 7-5 victory.
“C-Tone [Congleton] has played awesome as well,” Wheeler said. “Our defense is frustrating the other team by running a tight zone. Trinity and Williams had a particularly tough time figuring out the zone and when they did, C-Tone was there to make the stop.”
Early in the year Wesleyan had been plagued by problems clearing the defensive end and has stepped up their efforts of late, moving the ball up field with a 72 percent efficiency. Other signs that the D has settled in are marked by a steady reduction of opponent shooting percentage and man-advantage goals over the last three games.
Health has also been an issue over the course of the season with injuries hampering team points leader Glenn Adams ’06 and leading scorer Chris Meade ’05. Their return to full strength in the last two weeks and the realignment of starting units that had seen a variety of changes during their absence, has resulted in increased production from the offense and the return of a comfort level and chemistry that is essential to the success of the team.
The pressure is still on for the Cards however, as their poor start has left them needing at least one of the next two to qualify for the NESCAC postseason. First up for the Cardinals will be nationally ranked Tufts, currently 10th in the USILA poll.
Standing at an unimpressive 4-3 in the NESCAC, their position nationally seems dubious. But the Jumbos’ record is deceiving. The squad went on a cold streak in early April that saw them drop three straight to Bowdoin, Williams, and Middlebury, though they never lost by more than three and hung tough with NESCAC best Middlebury in a 7-9 loss. Tufts handled Amherst 9-2 in late March and had a big day against Bates in an offensive explosion that saw 12 players find the net in a 16-9 victory Saturday. Bates beat Wes early this season for the second straight year, and the Cards did not have the same easy day as the Jumbos in their battle with Amherst, leaving some question marks about this match up. But with their recent string of victories, the latest coming against a Williams team that handed Tufts their first loss, the Cardinals have set the stage for what could be a dramatic home match up Wednesday between these two playoff-hungry programs.
“The NESCAC is always crazy down the stretch,” Wheeler said. “You can’t count anyone out. We have to win our games and take care of our own destiny. Winning the Little Three Championship three years straight is a great accomplishment, but we want to make some serious noise in the NESCAC tourney.”
Face-off for the Tufts game is scheduled for 4:30pm.
The Cardinals’ final game of the season will be on the road against a struggling Colby team (NESCAC 0-6), but the long trip can make things interesting for the visitor, and the team will need to continue to be on its game to ensure victory in the regular season’s final contest.
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