Men's lax stunned by Wesleyan

Author: Jeb Burchenal

The men's lacrosse team is still struggling to find their swagger. After a stressful regular season that featured nine games decided by three or less goals and four decided by only one goal, the Panthers dropped their NESCAC semifinal game to Wesleyan 15-14 in overtime.

Middlebury played the first half on the wings of the momentum that started during a come-from-behind win last Friday against Williams and carried through a dominating Sunday performance against Amherst.

The Panthers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to two goals from David Hild '11. His hot start was a good sign for the Panthers as one of his two scoreless games was the only regular season loss.

With continued fire on both sides of the ball, the 8-3 halftime score drew comparisons from the 7-2 halftime score against Amherst that resulted in the team's first blowout. But Wesleyan had different ideas and turned instead to the script of the Middlebury vs. Williams game. A sloppy third quarter by the Panthers quickly manifested into a 9-9 tie with three minutes left in the period. Thanks to a last-second goal by Skyler Hopkins '09, the Panthers had a 10-9 lead to start the fourth quarter.

Even with the run-stopping goal by Hopkins, it was obvious that the momentum was with Wesleyan and their emotional bench.

Tim Cahill '12 and Matt Ferrer '09 each scored early fourth-quarter goals to bring the margin back to two, but Wesleyan fought their way back. Hild, who finished the day with a team-high five goals, recognized his size advantage and notched two more big goals at the end of the game, but Wesleyan's Adam Kirk matched his late-game heroics to force overtime with 15 seconds left in regulation.

Middlebury has been so strong all-season clearing the ball, but failed on two crucial clears that could have ended the game in the fourth quarter. Wesleyan won the opening faceoff in overtime and the rest is history.

A lot can be said about the fact that both Middlebury losses of the season came against Wesleyan. For one, the Middlebury offense does not match up well against a zone. While a zone opens the door for isolation moves down low and quick passing, it stymies the midfield dodges that the Panthers rely on.

Second, Senior Captain Dave Campbell '09 has been great on faceoffs all season, but when an opponent finds his number, the Panthers lack a second go-to-guy to change it up. While he recorded a respectable 55% win percentage on the season, that number slumped to 37% in the two losses. A second faceoff player would keep the other team on their toes and make Campbell that much more effective.

Finally, Wesleyan gets amped up to play Middlebury. While it was comical during the first half when they were losing, the Wesleyan bench erupted with each goal. The Panthers celebrate, but come NCAAs, that fire needs to be in every Middlebury player on the bench.

While the loss stings, the Panthers have the relief of a first-round bye and the luxury of hosting their first NCAA game. Two losses, especially to the same the team, do not define a season. The Panthers have been lucky enough to avoid major injuries, save Zach Harwood '10, and have very few glaring weaknesses. They just need to find a way to tap back into the mojo that started against Williams.

Lacrosse is a game steeped in history, especially here at Middlebury, and the Panthers need to look back at the Middlebury teams of the early 2000s as models for both excellence and swagger if they hope to add to that history this season.