Lebanon
Lebanon’s 16-6 triumph, during which it built a 15-3 lead after three quarters, was the Raiders’ second victory in their last three games and improved them to 3-9. Stevens dropped to 0-10 and has been outscored, 166-36. The Cardinals, who haven’t claimed a contest since 2016, were winless during the 2014-15 seasons and are a combined 3-91 during the last seven campaigns.
“I worry about their program,” said second-year Lebanon coach Rob Fett, who played almost every Raider out of position during the fourth quarter and had encouraging words for Cardinals counterpart Peter Lynch, Jr., after the final horn. “Today was about enjoying a gentleman’s game and making sure we conducted ourselves in that manner.”
Stevens had only three substitutes. Lynch, a former Hartford High player and assistant coach, said two of his players split time with the track program and were competing for it on Thursday, and that several others have quit since the start of the season. However, he disputes any idea it’s time for the Cardinals to give up lacrosse.
“I certainly understand the discouragement, but we have kids who come out every day and if they’re enjoying it, why would we take it away from them?” said the coach, who works with Stevens’ alternative learning program during the day. “Winning is a habit, but so is losing, and we’ve got to kick it. We’ve got 10 sophomores, so hopefully the future is bright.”
Stevens featured 14 freshmen in 2014, but only half of them were still on the team last spring. Lost to graduation after that 0-14 campaign was standout defender Logan Bateman, the only Cardinal in memory to play club lacrosse during the offseason. He recently completed his freshman year at Regis (Mass.) College, where he started every game for a 4-11 team.
Stevens now has only three defenders, and they never come off the field. Alex Simoneau, Nick Stone and Isaiah Forrest are burly, hard-nosed fellows, but they’re not built for endurance.
“I don’t question their heart, but you get tired when it’s a 48-minute game and you’re playing 35 minutes of defense,” said Lynch, who’s been unable to find an assistant coach. “There’s only so much you can do, especially because we have a young team that doesn’t yet understand the value of long, offensive possessions. You’ve got to give your defense a rest.”
Instead, the Cardinals want to score as quickly as possible, shooting almost as soon as they get the ball, and often watching opponents scoop up the errant rubber.
“If we can keep the ball, we’ve got some guys who can do things with it,” said Lynch, whose team received three goals from Donovan Putnam and one each from McAlister, Quentin Bicknell and Ian Fitzpatrick on Thursday. Goaltender Tucker Derosier made nine saves.
Lebanon faces its own struggles, though not as pronounced. The Raiders are headed for a third consecutive season without a playoff berth, and Fett said the school’s declining enrollment of fewer than 300 boys and the existence of baseball, track and crew teams in addition to lacrosse has caused participation in his program to drop.
Lebanon doesn’t field a JV lacrosse team this year, and Fett said that although the sport’s numbers aren’t bad in the city’s junior-high ranks, there tends to be attrition when those competitors enter high school. The Raiders have only one senior, however, so the coach hopes their ranks can swell and that they can develop better skills to go with what’s been improved conditioning.
“Most of these boys came in without any lacrosse experience at all,” Fett said. “Just throwing and catching while moving in an offensive set has been something of a challenge. But our turnovers have dropped a lot since the sixth or seventh game.”
Lebanon received five goals and three assists from Nate Chickering and four goals from Brad Plodzik. Jack Sandmann had three goals and Aaron Damren and Jon Cloud each had two goals. Cloud added four assists. Caiden Skalkalski made four saves during three quarters of work before giving way to Ryan Hart. The sophomore’s hasty need to strip to his boxer shorts and throw on the goaltender’s gear cost the hosts a delay-of-game penalty at the start of the final stanza.
Stevens is at Trinity today; Lebanon hosts Plymouth on Wednesday.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.