Elizabethtown College men’s lacrosse team continued their out-of-conference play against the Stockton University Ospreys at home on March 11.
As the match started, the Blue Jays immediately put pressure on the Ospreys’ goal. Despite attempts to block plays by Stockton junior Riley Burns, Etown sophomore Reese Levinson scored the first goal of the match in under a minute of game time.
The initial aggressive offense did not last for the Blue Jays, as the game transitioned into a stalemate between the two teams. The Ospreys bolstered their defense, preventing either team from outmaneuvering the other for a while. It would take roughly three and a half minutes after the game’s first goal for Stockton sophomore Liam Humphrey to help Stockton senior Nick Grande score against Etown. However, the Blue Jays would soon break the tie and reestablish their lead.
While the Blue Jays held the lead for most of the first half of the game, the Ospreys ensured the lead never had the chance to grow. Etown sophomore Jake Woodworth tried to shoot for the goal, but the ball only hit the goal’s frame with a dull ringing sound due to Stockton’s defense. Meanwhile, the Stockton University goalie deflected shot after shot from the Jays toward the end of the first quarter.
However, the Blue Jays remained the clear front runners of the first half. Elizabethtown sophomore Tristan Coleman and Levinson stole the ball away from Stockton while they attempted to outmaneuver the Jays’ defenses. Meanwhile, Levinson eventually broke through Stockton’s defense with the last goal of the first quarter. This overall trend continued throughout the second quarter, but Stockton stayed strong and ended the first half in a tie. As the Elizabethtown College dance team took to the field for their halftime performance, the score was 6-6.
The tide would rapidly turn heading into the second half of the match. While Etown preserved their offense and momentum heading into the third quarter, Stockton refused to yield. For nearly five and a half minutes, neither team could score as play bounced back and forth between the two goals. Eventually, Stockton senior Robbie O’Brian shattered the tie with a goal against the Jays.
This play marked the turning point for Stockton, as they grabbed the lead and refused to let go. Throughout the third quarter, Stockton players Liam Humphrey, Connor Albrecht, and Graham nearly doubled their team’s score, while the Blue Jays could only raise their score by two points before the quarter ended. As the game went into the fourth and final quarter, the score was 8-11 in favor of Stockton.
Not much happened throughout the fourth quarter to shift the game back in Elizabethtown’s favor. Graham and Etown graduate student Lucca Scomillio scored one more point for their respective teams in the first few minutes of the quarter, but this ultimately did not affect much. Those initial points ended up being the final goals of the match as play settled into the familiar back-and-forth seen earlier. By the end of the game, Stockton had won with a final score of 9-12.
The Elizabethtown College men’s lacrosse team’s next game will again take place on Wolf Field, against Stevenson University. The match will occur late into the evening on March 26, at 7 p.m.
