The men’s lacrosse squad has opened the season with a triumphant bang. Coming off of two great wins in their season opener against Mount Ida College and their first away match at Springfield College, the men went into the break with confidence in tow. They wasted no time once situated in their annual Orlando, Fla. spring break destination; while they were granted some time to enjoy the pleasures of the Sunshine State, the men spent most of their time in competition and in training.
In addition to providing the team with an opportunity to play a number of games in a short amount of time, the trip also served to promote team bonding. “While I always get to know the first-years a bit during our pre-season training,” reflected senior tri-captain Willy Ferrer, “it isn’t until Orlando that I really get to know and trust them as fellow teammates.”
The men played three games in five days while in Orlando and emerged three wins stronger, vanquishing opponents Salve Regina University, Roger Williams University and Hamilton College, 14-4, 15-9 and 10-7, respectively. In those three games alone, sophomore Thomas McDonnell registered an outstanding 11 goals to bring his five-game season total to a 20. Supporting McDonnell’s efforts were tri-captains Ferrer and Thomas Jackson ’08. Despite primarily serving the role of playmaker this season with 12 assists, Ferrer tallied a handful of goals, placing him second on the team in points, behind McDonnell.
Jackson is the team’s other leader in goals, with a tally of 16, many of which were put home over break. In just his second game back from a collarbone problem, junior Matt Himler slotted his first goal of the season with a shot from outside the restraining line.
The Jeffs’ five-game winning streak came to a startling halt this past weekend when the men visited Lewiston, Maine to face NESCAC foe Bates College, losing 9-4. As the Jeffs conference competition, the game carried with it extra significance due to the NESCAC’s prominent status in Div. III lacrosse. Even so, Bates had been expected to be an easy match given their 0-2 conference record going into the match. Perhaps it was overconfidence, perhaps it was too much sun over break, or perhaps it was the anticipation of a sumptuous Easter Sunday feast. But whatever it was, the men did not have what it took to win their first conference game. Despite strong efforts from all the usual suspects, and even with the addition of a spectacular performance from goaltender Matt Pietroforte ’09, Amherst failed to keep the Bates offense at bay.
The men were outshot 39-24 and were unable to contain Bates’ transition offense, as two of their nine goals were scored unassisted by a long pole defender. “We didn’t play well and we were flat on offense,” said Ferrer, when asked about the performance. “You might attribute that to a number of factors: the four-hour bus ride in the morning, the abrupt transition from sunny Orlando to frozen tundra, fatigue … what have you. For whatever the reason, we didn’t show up and play our game.” Retrospective analysis aside, the Jeffs will have to approach their next conference match this coming Saturday with tenacity if they expect to make concrete achievements this season.