Lax Tigers Need to Establish Consistency
by: John Hobart ‘10
Sophomore Ben Clarke put up 6 goals against #8 Roanoke on March 20th.
Things were looking great for the Hampden-Sydney lacrosse team as they took on #8 Roanoke on March 20th. The game was tied at 6 at halftime and the Tigers were hanging right with the Maroons. However, Roanoke came out looking like a different team in the 2nd half and outscored the Tigers 16-4 and went on to a 22-10 victory.
To put it bluntly, the second half was embarrassing for the Tigers. It was a beautiful Saturday and we were sticking right with one of the best teams in the country. But then the Maroons began to score at will. Fans started to trickle out of the stadium and the Tigers’ confidence went with them. Ben Clarke had an impressive 6 points on the day with 3 goals and 3 assists, but there weren’t many other high points for Hampden-Sydney.
Moving on from the negativity, the Tigers were able to follow the Roanoke game with an impressive victory at Greensboro College. Although the Pride was an inferior opponent, we did not play down to their level. Goalie Mark Bagby came out looking to re-establish himself in the goal and he did just that. The captain had 12 saves while allowing just 5 goals. The offense was also impressive en route to a 15-5 victory for the Tigers.
Leading the way offensively for the Hampden-Sydney again was Sophomore Ben Clarke. The scrappy offensive weapon had 4 goals and an assist. Junior Cole Hawthorne was all over the field racking up a goal and 2 assists while collecting a game-high 10 ground balls. The Greensboro game certainly gave the team a little more confidence which they will need as they continue to compete in the toughest conference in the nation.
The Tigers have a very important match-up March 31st under the lights at #13 W&L (after press-time). Hampden-Sydney will then host #14 Lynchburg College on April 3rd. A victory in either of these games will help to revive the reputation of the team that took a hit after the 22-10 home loss to Roanoke. Go Tigers.
Related posts:
Loading ...