By Jodie Ng, News Correspondent
The men’s club lacrosse team is adept at bringing conviction and confidence to every game regardless of the results, evident in their most recent matchup. Despite an April 3 loss to the University of Connecticut, the Huskies came back and dominated the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Engineers, 14-3, last Saturday in Worcester.
“It felt really good because I think for the first time all season, we played the entire game like a team,” freshman midfielder Tom Kolongowski said. “It was just a win where everyone got to touch the ball and that was a lot of fun and it showed how far we’ve come.”
With an assist from co-captain junior Christopher Tecca, midfielder junior Josiah Baker-Connick scored the first goal of the game, giving the team an early lead. From there on out, the Huskies kept a strong possession of the ball and kept the momentum of the game on their side.
By the end of the first quarter, Northeastern was up 6-0. Senior goalie Alex Rickler kept WPI off the scoreboard until the latter half of the game, when the Engineers scored all three of their goals.
It was not just Rickler’s saves that led these Huskies to victory. With goal after goal, the offense showed how strong and aggressive it can be. According to Kolongowski, the team is transforming the offense to be a more “lethal and dangerous unit.”
“We’re starting to put in a lot more plays where the entire team is moving as a whole unit of six people instead of just one person moving,” Kolongowski added. “If we continue to do that, we will get to the point where we’re scoring 10-12 goals a game.”
The game against UConn may have been an opportunity for the Huskies to go a perfect 2-0 in the Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League (PCLL) but Kolongowski said they’re determined to win every divisional game from now on.
In their fight for a shot at nationals, the team is scheduled to play the Boston University Terriers tomorrow at Parsons Field. If the Huskies face another loss, their chances at nationals suffer and could make their fate depend on other team’s results.
“We have to take every game one by one. If we play our game, we should be able to come out with at least a solid chance of winning in the PCLL,” Kolongowski said. “We want to be in control of our own destiny. We want to be a dominating team.”
While the Huskies’ fate still hangs in the balance, the team is striving to reach for the next level.
“Northeastern definitely will be a top contender in this league this year and next year and years to come. I think if we played [the teams out West] again now, it might definitely go the other way and that goes to show we’re one of the stronger teams in our league and the country.”
