Search for consistency plagues men's lax

By Dan Brodhead

On Sat., Apr. 4, Brian Shure, BR '98, fired in a goal with 54 seconds to go, as the Elis completed an improbable and thrilling 11-10 upset of No. 18 Rutgers. Once again, on Wed., Apr, 8, the Bulldogs found themselves in need of last minute heroics as they trailed Boston College 9-8 in the final minutes.

Yale had three opportunities in the final minutes to tie the game against the Eagles. "We had the right people shooting from the right angles," head coach Mike Waldvogel said. The opportunities were there, but the Bulldogs simply could not cash in. "We waited too long," Waldvogel said. "Everybody thought someone else would put the ball in the net."

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Photo of Joe Pilch, SM '00

As a result, the team fell to a disappointing 2-6 on the season. The lack of execution and consistency in its loss to the Eagles, especially following its exciting win over Rutgers, has left the teamsomewhat discouraged. "It was an unexpected disappointment and a pretty ugly game," Brad Graw, SM '99, said. "It was really no more than a 50 percent effort."

"We're pleased with our effort in practice and our individual skill level is improving." Graw said. "But the fate of our team lies in whether or not we come out to play for 60 minutes on game days."

The team that showed up on Wednesday appeared nothing like the squad that outplayed the Scarlet Knights this past weekend. "Against Rutgers, we played as a team," Waldvogel said. "We played physically, we played with heart, we played as if we all wanted to win." Joe Pilch, SM '99, was outstanding in goal against Rutgers deflecting 14 shots. Nick Milone, SY '00, scored three goals and two assists. Shure added two, including the game winner, and had three assists in the win.

Pilch has been strong throughout the season, and the tandem of Milone and Coddy Johnson, DC '99, has given the Elis strength in the midfield. Johnson beat the Eagles' goal-tender three times and is the team's leading scorer. Vince Fer-raro, SY '98, has also been a force on defense.

The Yale team does not lack talent, but unfortunately, talent alone does not win games--consistent play does, and consistency has been out of the reach of the Blue all
season.

The key to success is unity. "We need to focus on consistency and execution as a team in order to win," Wald-vogel said. "Ten players have to function together as a unit. Right now we have seven or eight on the field at a time but there are always a few unfocused players out there."

When losses build up like they have, it's often hard to get back on the winning track. "We're in good shape physically and skills are improving--now a lot of its mental," Waldvogel said. "When you're playing well and working together, and suddenly someone makes a mistake that leads to a goal by the other team, it's discouraging."

Waldvogel has tried to shake up his lineup to pull his team out of their doldrums. "One problem we face is that sometimes great players don't work well together," Waldvogel said. The coach has even inserted freshman in the lineup to spark the team. He emphasized that working new players into the lineup increases "internal competition." Adam Werder, ES '01, has played well in the midfield, and Mark Smith, ES '01, has contributed on the attack as well as in the midfield.

In the final stretch of the season, Yale's competition only gets tougher. The team plays a powerful Towson State squad on Sat., Apr. 11, and also must face Harvard and Delaware in the weeks ahead. All three are ranked in the nation's top 20. "The rest of our schedule is really tough," Waldvogel acknowledged. "To improve and win some games we have to put together some solid team efforts. We need to be mentally and physically ready."

Indeed, after Rutgers, the Bulldogs know they are capable of coming together and beating a nationally ranked opponent. With the critical stretch approaching, it's now just a question of whether they will be able to do it.

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