By Keira Burger
Elm Staff Writer
After a successful first matchup on Feb. 22, Washington College men’s lacrosse continues their winning streak with a 12-8 victory over Elizabethtown College.
The Shoremen’s focus on the fundamentals this season has arguably contributed to a second, strong consecutive win. Before the match, Head Coach John Nostrant stressed their focus and will to improve despite the mounting pressure.
“Passing, catching, and shooting all need to improve. We also are focusing on our riding and clearing games. Elizabethtown is a well-coached team from the landmark conference and we will need to be at our best to beat them. We have been on the winning side the last two years, and we look for that to continue,” Nostrant said.
The team carried momentum from their season-opening win, where standout performances by freshman attacker Nate Winters tallied three goals off of eight shots and sophomore goalkeeper Colin Gray recorded 14 saves on 20 shots faced, setting the tone for their success. Sophomore midfielder Reeve Hargrave, who tallied an impressive two goals and one assist in the team’s last game, spoke ahead of this matchup about the team’s confidence.
“I feel like I don’t have any pressure going into Elizabethtown. We all have been working extremely hard, and I feel very comfortable playing with the guys next to me. I have a good feeling going into Saturday and come out with the win,” Hargrave said.
His confidence was well-warranted, as within three minutes of the first quarter, Winters, alongside junior attacker Cam Carrigan, netted a man-up goal, propelling the Shoremen to a 2-0 lead.
Senior midfielder Ben Dickinson pushed the margin to 4-0, scoring two consecutive goals with five minutes left in the first. Elizabethtown quickly realized what they were up against, making a successful effort to cut the lead to 4-1, only to be met by another two Shoremen goals mere minutes later.
Assisted by Carrigan, Winters further extended the lead to 8-1, but Elizabethtown closed the first half by scoring two of the final three goals to narrow the deficit to 9-3 at halftime. In the third quarter, both teams found the net twice, ultimately maintaining the Shoremen’s lead. By the fourth quarter, the Blue Jays dominated the final stretch by scoring the last three goals.
However, it was not enough to overcome the Shoremen, who had secured two goals in the first and final minutes of the last quarter, providing a final margin of 12-8 and another Shoremen win.
With this victory, WC men’s lacrosse improves 2-0 on the season and looks ahead to their next three games at home, including a March 1 matchup against the Randolph-Macon College Yellow Jackets.
As the season progresses, be on the lookout for emerging key players such as Winters, Dickinson, Carrigan, and Hargrave, who have shown promise in the opening games. If their early performances are any indication, the Shoremen are poised to make a strong run going forward.
Photo by Darius Kesey.
Photo Caption: Shoremen lacrosse is off to a 2-0 start, after combining for 24 goals through their opening two games