Men’s Lax Searching for Stride
BY NICK STILLMAN

While the weather this week ranged from unseasonably gorgeous to miserable, the men’s lacrosse team remained sluggish, suffering a 28-2 drubbing against Denison Tuesday and dropping another game 23-8 at the hands of Wittenberg Saturday. With the two losses, Oberlin fell to 1-7 on the season.

(photo by Areca Treon)

The Yeomen knew their division would be trouble before the season began, as several teams are national powerhouses. Denison, currently ranked sixth in the nation, may be the best team the Yeomen play all year, and their advantage in skill and training made them an overpowering opponent. “They had too much talent and too much speed,” Head Coach Jim Donovan said.
Junior goaltender Dave Smolev agreed, saying, “They were just a better team than we were.”
Dension jumped out to an insurmountable lead early, blitzing the Yeomen for 10 quick goals in the first quarter. While a lesser-willed team might have curled up and died against this offensive barrage, the Yeomen defense strengthened in the second, holding the opponent to only four goals.
Sophomore attack Erik Vachon and junior midfielder Michael Wexler each contributed a goal for the Yeomen.

Although they racked up six more goals in Saturday’s 23-8 loss against Wittenberg, the Yeomen still couldn’t muster enough firepower to mount a challenge. Vachon was a bright spot, scoring four goals and increasing his team-high total to 13. Wexler, who has assumed more of the offensive load this season, chimed in for two goals, bringing his total to eight. Sophomore midfielder Sam Bryar also contributed with two goals.
While several individual Yeomen had standout offensive games, the team as a whole seemed to suffer from a lack of concentration. Most notable was the defense which allowed three goals in the last 1:42 of the second quarter. Still, Donovan praised his team for proving resilient even when behind. “We played well in spurts even after we got down early,” he said.
Although it has proven porous recently, relinquishing 28 and 23 goals in its last two contests, the Yeomen’s man-down defense is ranked sixth in the nation.
While Donovan was quick to point out that defense is the team’s strength, he said the offense has been making steady improvements. “We’re doing a better job of controlling the ball on offense although we’re certainly not where we’d like to be,” he said. The offense suffered a huge blow when senior Evan Kelley, the team’s top returning scorer, quit the team prior to spring break. He is now working out with the track and field team as a pole-vaulter.
Donovan cited a lack of consistency as the team’s biggest weakness. “We have the ability to do the things we need to do but we haven’t yet consistently played well all game.” Moreover, the team is a young one. Tyler Smith is the only senior who frequently factors into the Yeomen’s game plan.
Although the losses were two of the worst for the men’s lacrosse team this year, Smolev said they are trying to maintain a positive attitude. “We definitely had a slouch after the Wooster game but we had a meeting where everyone vented their feelings and last week when we played Wittenberg it was much better,” he said.
Oberlin should get back on the winning track Saturday, when they take to the road to play Marietta College in Pennsylvania. The Yeomen enjoyed their only win this season against Marietta, an 11-5 victory on March 14.