Men's Lax Memory Short In Rebound Thumping of Trinity

Author: Nick Ferrer

On Saturday, the men's lacrosse team made a statement. In its first game since a dismal weekend in Maine that stripped the team of its number one national ranking, the Panthers devoured perennial NESCAC powerhouse Trinity College, 20-8, and showed that its one loss is already in the past.

It didn't take long for Trinity to discover just how potent the Panther offense can be. Shortly after grabbing a 1-0 lead early in the first quarter, the Bantams watched as Middlebury tore ahead with 10 unanswered goals. While scoring 10 consecutive goals in lacrosse is a feat seldom accomplished, Middlebury achieved it in what can only be described as classic Panther fashion: each of the 10 goals was tallied by a different player. Wowed by the unselfish play and depth of Panther talent, the Bantams found themselves in a 10-3 halftime hole.

In the second half, the visiting Bantams struggled valiantly to get back in the game. Though they held Middlebury to just three third-quarter goals, the Panther defense proved too big an obstacle. Led by senior longsticks Sebastian Astrada and Nick Lesher, the defense continued to deny any Bantam attempts at mounting an offensive attack. To add to Trinity's woes, Middlebury face-off specialist Brian McGregor '03 precluded any chance of a build in Bantam momentum by winning career-high 21 face-offs through the first three quarters.

Showing no signs of fatigue, Middlebury's offense erupted again in the fourth quarter — this time scoring seven goals to pull away for the 20-8 victory. Eric Krieger '04, Ned Courtemanche '05 and Matt Levy '05 combined for 11 saves on the day as the Panthers improved their NESCAC record to 6-1 and 10-1 overall.

Zach Herbert '02 led all scorers with three goals and two assists, while Peter Albro '02 made his much anticipated season-debut all that fans expected. After battling an ankle injury since January that was aggravated early in the season during a team practice, Albro led the Panther midfield with three goals. Seniors Matt Dunn and Greg Carroll each recorded two goals and an assist in the win, and 10 other players each scored once for the Panthers.

Having clearly rebounded from its one blemish in a previously perfect season, the Panthers now look poised to flex their muscles in the postseason. On Wednesday, Middlebury hosts archrival Williams for the coveted Thompsen Trophy. Three days later, the team will bring closure to the regular season when they travel to Bates College. After that, the road to the national championship at Rutgers begins with NESCAC tournament. First round action, with matchups still to be determined, will start on Sunday.