By Jodie Ng, News Correspondent
The momentum of the Northeastern men’s club lacrosse team continued to carry it forward after the Huskies dominated the Boston University Terriers, 11-5, last Friday at Parsons Field.
“We really controlled the game the whole time,” freshman Ryan Doherty said. “Just the fact that it was our last time against BU, I think we just had so much momentum going into it that we pulled away.”
With middler attackman David Rapp scoring the first goal of the game and sophomore goalie Matthew Mohr keeping the Terriers off the scoreboard, the Huskies were up 4-0 by the end of the first quarter. After the second quarter they were leading 7-5.
Middler Daniel Brockwell, who also plays attack, said the offense’s cohesiveness was one of the biggest factors that helped bring the team to victory. Recently however, the Huskies had a gap to fill that Mike Lehmann left as a result of a shoulder injury.
“Mike Lehmann is a huge part of our offense,” Brockwell said. “Just cutting off the net and creating looks and we’ve really had to fill in roles there. Individually, we’re mirroring what he would do out there on the field.”
However, this is just one of the many challenges that have given the team a chance to rebound. From a disappointing trip to California to a hard loss against the University of Connecticut to players’ injuries, these Huskies have endured it all this season.
“I think as a team we’ve faced a lot of adversity,” middler Josiah Baker-Connick said. “Even recently, we’ve lost more guys and every time we lose somebody, somebody else steps up and proves they’re an integral part of the team, too.”
Baker-Connick said he’s proud of how the team rebounded from the UConn game and then came out and worked well together in later games such as a 14-3 win against Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
All teams, excluding the team that falls in last, will have a shot at the Pioneers Collegiate Lacrosse League (PCLL) tournament. Once there, there will be a playoff bracket and champions will have a bid to the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) tournament.
“We got to win them all from here on out,” Brockwell said.
“Every game in the PCLL is huge,” Baker-Connick said. “It’s a really tight conference and every game determines where we seed, where we stand going into the PCLL playoffs.”
One of the team’s final goals, according to Brockwell, is to end Boston College’s undefeated season. Northeastern is one of two universities who have a chance at doing so. The other team is Southern University of New York-Buffalo.
“BC’s a great team,” Brockwell said. “I think they’re No. 10 in the country now but we’re going to match up well with them and want it more.”
“You have to go into every game with the respect for your opponent but I think we can beat them.” Doherty said. “I really want to beat them.”
Now as the academic year winds down and the season comes close to an end, there are three games left – University of Rhode Island, Boston College and SUNY-Buffalo. All these games are crucial in regards to the PCLL and ultimately the MCLA.
“We’re the team I expected us to be, especially now,” Brockwell said. “We believe in each other more than we did in the beginning of the season and that’s what it takes to win a lacrosse game. It’s a team sport.”
