Men’s lacrosse opened up their season on Saturday, Feb. 29 in an away tilt against Bowdoin College. The Panthers were deadly on the attack in the opener, outshooting the Polar Bears 52–36 en route to a 16–12 victory. This is the second year in a row that the Panthers have taken down Bowdoin in their regular season matchup.
Middlebury jumped out to an early 6–0 lead featuring two goals and two assists from Tyler Forbes ’22. Last season, Forbes notched 49 goals and 10 assists in an effort that placed him first on the team in total points.
Middlebury’s hot streak was quickly cooled by the Polar Bears, who scored five consecutive goals by the middle of the second quarter. The Panthers responded, finding the net three more times before the break, which they entered with a 9-6 lead.
Bowdoin kept the Panthers on their feet early in the second half, cutting Middlebury’s lead down to two in the third quarter. However, this threat was quickly thwarted by a 3–0 streak by the Panthers thanks to two goals from Michael McCormack ’20. The teams continued to trade goals, but the Polar Bears were never able to get within 3 scores of the Panthers for the rest of the game. In the final ten minutes, A.J. Kucinski ’20 dealt a final blow with a goal and an assist of his own, en route to the victory. Kucinski was second on the team in points last year (54), only five behind teammate Forbes. With these two points, Kucinski notched an impressive feat, hitting the career 100-point mark.
Post game, Johnny Kantaros ’23 offered insight that the scoreline doesn’t illustrate. “I think a highlight for us was how some of our older guys stepped up in new roles this year,” he stated. “Especially Chase Goree ’20, who was awarded the game ball for his hustle and grit after moving from an attackman to a two-way midfielder.”
This versatility should serve the Panthers well in the new season. After a comfortable win in Brunswick, the Panthers have reason to be optimistic for their home opener against Connecticut College on Saturday, March 7.
Blaise Siefer ‘23.5 is a sports staff writer.
Siefer is majoring in Sociology and minoring in Spanish.
For three semesters in 2021 and 2022, Siefer served as Senior Sports Editor. He also co-founded a Middlebury sports recap podcast, PFL Weekly, which is released on all major streaming platforms every Tuesday.
Siefer is also the Co-Founder and Co-President of Middlebury Club Soccer.
