By Jodie Ng, News Correspondent
After a disappointing road trip to California to start the season, the Northeastern men’s club lacrosse team found its first win against Texas State University on March 16 in Providence, R.I. Although the team said the one-point victory was difficult to be happy with, the Huskies came out playing stronger for their following game against University of New Hampshire on March 23.
The Huskies defeated the Texas State Bobcats 6-5, but head coach James Morin said the team made mistakes – including 15 turnovers – despite the fact Northeastern was the more talented team.
“It’s understanding that a win and a loss isn’t really the pinnacle of what we’re doing here,” Morin said. “It’s the preparation for the execution. We didn’t execute.”
Sophomore Adam Crimmins said it was not the win the team wanted, but despite their frustration, the team remained determined to do better. It was that confidence and will that carried them into their next game against the New Hampshire Wildcats.
“We had to come out strong,” middler Josiah Baker-Connick said. “We came into the season with a lot of high hopes and coming out 0-3 was definitely disappointing but you know, I think we’re a strong team and one of the things that make us strong is we’re good at coming back from adversity.”
The game against New Hampshire in Durham, N.H. highlighted the capabilities of the men’s lacrosse team, as an offensive surge pushed the Huskies past the Wildcats with a 9-5 win.
In a game where the score went back and forth, Northeastern trailed by one point, 4-3, at the end of the first half. Nonetheless, Morin said he felt that the team was dominant throughout the game.
“There weren’t any mistakes happening and once the second half came, we controlled the game,” the coach said. “UNH started making mistakes we capitalized on.”
According to Baker-Connick, the team knew where the opponent’s weakness lay and was able to harness it to gain a second consecutive win.
During the game, Northeastern’s defense continued to be strong as the offense stepped up. According to Morin, this was the first time in the season when the offense and defense came together. There were more collaborative efforts as opposed to individualistic efforts, he said.
“Our defense has been playing really well this whole season,” Crimmins said. “But we just need to get our act together with the offense and that’s what we did against UNH.”
The Huskies are now 1-0 in the Patriot Collegiate Lacrosse League and is a step closer in winning a Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association title. The next division game is scheduled for April 3 against the University of Connecticut at Parsons Field, the Huskies’ first home game of the season.
Crimmins, who plays midfield, said the team is on an uphill trajectory and if they continue what they are doing now, the men’s club lacrosse team would be “a force to be reckoned with.”
These Huskies have experienced highs and lows in the season’s opening month, but the team continues to emphasize confidence and concentration. Regardless of the wins, Baker-Connick said the team is always looking to reach the next level.
“I think with being on a team, you never want to be satisfied,” Baker-Connick said. “You can always get better but you can be happy with where you’re at and look ahead at where you’re going. I’m happy with where we are right now. I’m definitely not satisfied. I think we can get a lot better and I think we will.”
