Early inconsistency gives Elis sense of urgency

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Men's lacrosse is determined not to be discouraged by a rocky start.

After a mediocre season that culminated in a losing record last year, this year's men's lacrosse team was ready to make a change for the better. The Bulldogs started their season with enthusiasm and exhibited the necessary intensity by defeating Drexel, 13-8, in the first game of the season on Sat., Mar. 6. The team headed to Florida for spring break the next day, and ever since, the Elis have struggled to find the necessary means to win. Consecutive losses to Syracuse, Colgate, and Penn have gotten the team off to a sub-par start.

Against Drexel, Yale netted 13 goals, led by rookie attackman Brian Hunt, TD '02, who scored five goals in his first game for Yale. "Most of my goals were in transition," Hunt said. "They were not from settled play." In the next game against the perennially formidable Syracuse squad, the Bulldogs scored first but quickly found themselves facing a deficit which they were not able to overcome. Hunt noted that the team needs to concentrate more on face-offs in future games, because Yale didn't get the ball until halfway through the first quarter. Against Colgate, Yale again put itself in a 6-1 hole by halftime, a Red Raider lead that proved to be insurmountable. In their first league game against Penn on Sat., Mar. 20, the Bulldogs couldn't get their offense together and lost 7-2.

As the team makes the necessary adjustments, Head Coach Mike Wald-vogel does not fault the players for a lack of effort. "We're playing hard but not smart," he explained. "We're not firing on all cylinders." In addition, Waldvogel cited a lack of experience, noting that he has been starting "quite a few freshmen."

But the Bulldogs are still hoping to settle into a winning groove. Although three other teams have finished on top, the Elis believe their mistakes have contributed more to their losses than the play of the opponents. "The mistakes are our own," Waldvogel said. "We have to execute." Captain Joe Pilch, SM '99, shared similar sentiments. "In three of the four games we scored first," he said. "Lately we have been experiencing some inconsistency which is a little disappointing." In response to the recent problems, Pilch added, "The practices are going to be shorter and more intense, more game-like, because we have to get the intensity back."

Both Waldvogel and Pilch acknowledged that the team's primary goal has been clear from the beginning. "Our team goal is to win the Ivy League, and that will take care of things nationally." With one loss already, the Bulldogs have a more immediate obstacle to overcome. Since they have a league schedule slightly shorter than other sports (because Columbia does not have a team), each league game becomes slightly more important. This fact was not lost on the players. "There is definitely a sense of urgency at this point," Pilch said. Yet he was quick to point out that things may not be as bad as they seem. Princeton, which has won three straight national championships, is off to a poor start, posting a 0-3 (0-0 Ivy) record. In addition, Penn has already lost a game. "We had some high goals and they are still attainable," Pilch said. "People have been getting beat all the time by teams you do not expect. The Ivy League champion might have a league loss."

The Elis have a chance to put themselves back in the title hunt in their next three games. On Sat., Mar. 27, they face Cornell (2-2, 0-0 Ivy) at home to be followed by Princeton and Brown in the coming weeks. Last year the Bulldogs fell to Cornell 6-3 in the teams' only meeting. Pilch acknowledged that in that game, Yale made many mistakes, and the Big Red capitalized on the Elis' sloppiness. This year, "the team needs to stay within themselves and not over-extend," he said. "The offense needs to be more aggressive."

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