|
Lacrosse extends hot streak |
|
|
|
Tuesday, 08 April 2008 |
by ERIK RHYNE
Sports Reporter
After Sunday’s 12-7 victory over Davidson College, the Appalachian State University club lacrosse team members find themselves on a three-game winning streak.
“I feel like we’re going up towards the peak - we’re not there yet,” defenseman W. Brandon Williamson said. “I think we have a lot left to give. It’s definitely a good thing to be starting to peak now than earlier in the season. Now we’re in must-win games.”
ASU is a team riding high on confidence and for most of the game, didn’t need a full team to prove it.
 Senior midfielder Joe Doyle moves up field to look for an open teammate. Photo by Alisha Park
|
In the fourth quarter, leading 11-7, the Mountaineers found themselves three members down. However, when most teams would take advantage, the Wildcats were held scoreless.
“To be down three guys – it almost never happens and if it does, you’re supposed to be scored on like
it’s nobody’s business,” club president Robbie Simpson said. “For us to hold them scoreless was really
important and a defining moment of the game.”
While it did seem to motivate Appalachian even more, it also showed a weakness the team knows it
has - penalties.
“I think [penalties] just come from our intensity out there,” Simpson said. “We’re going out and playing
so hard. Guys care so much that we got to be able to keep our heads on straight and not do stupid
stuff.”
Even with its share of penalties, the team isn’t looking at it as a huge issue.
“We have a strong defense,” Simpson said. “We’ve got five guys out there that can play really well. Our
goalie, Paul [Palmer], is a freshman and had a huge game today. The defense knows they can count
on him. It really helps to know if we do get penalties, it’s not as bad as it could be.”
With the win, ASU improved to 5-3 on the season, looking to secure a spot in the playoffs.
If Appalachian defeats the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Saturday, the Mountaineers
guarantee themselves a spot.
If they lose, it would be a different story. ASU would have to rely on qualifiers and tiebreakers to go its
way toward extending the season, Simpson said.
To think of being in the playoffs is a big step forward for the team.
“If you would have asked us at the beginning of the season, we would not have believed we could
make the playoffs,” Williamson said. “I think overall, watching the way we’ve played over the past
games, we’ll not only can make the playoffs but could make a deep run.”
Before the playoffs become a reality, Appalachian must return to the field and get the job done on their
end.
“It looks like now everyone has figured out what our goals are for the rest of the season,” Williamson
said. “It looks like we can give ourselves a chance to do what we need to do. We’re going into next
week as a must-win. There’s no reason to leave our destiny in the hands of somebody else.”
Trackback(0)
 |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Show/Hide comments