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In print | Published March 19, 2009

The Swarthmore men’s lacrosse team (1-2) lost two tough contests over spring break.

The men’s team traveled to Long Island to play the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Mariners on Sunday, March 8. They lost a hard fought battle, 7-5, in non-conference action. Gavin Musynske ’10 scored two goals, while John Bukawyn ’12, Ben Young ’09 and Tyler Bradshaw ’10 each added a point. The Garnet amassed a three-point lead by halftime by capitalizing on assists and one-man-up opportunities.

However, they were not able to maintain momentum going into the second half. The Garnet were plagued by penalties and were ultimately unable to hold off the Mariners’ charge.

“I think we have been playing well, but we have been making mistakes that have been costing us games,” Matt Bowers ’12 said. “We really need to work on our finishing and making better decisions.”

The Garnet’s next contest was also a nail-biter. The men fell 6-4 to the College of Wooster in a non-conference game at home on Wednesday, March 11. David DeSimone ’11 tallied two goals and five ground balls, and Bradshaw notched a goal, an assist and five ground balls for Swarthmore in the loss.

The team worked hard over break, focusing on preparation for the upcoming Centennial Conference season, which is enough to pose a real challenge to any collegiate squad.

“I think spring break training was really productive,” said Bowers. “We are looking forward to our conference games. Our conference is one of the best in Division III, so they will be the real test.”
The team boasts a strong returning offensive line, consisting of co-captain Stelios Wilson ’09, Musynske and Bradshaw. All three have proven themselves to be threats on the field, and they are looking forward to continue to be successful this season.

The midfield also has many strong returning players, led by the co-captain Young.

Swarthmore will look to rebuild its defense after graduating a slew of key defenders in 2008. This year’s defensive squad has proven itself worthy early on, but is wary of the large void that it must continue to develop in order to replace.

“We have some big shoes to fill. We graduated two long-time starters last year, so we are looking to build this season,” Zach Leonard ’12 said. “Our goalie [Kevin Friedenberg ’10] has been playing really well, so that has been a big help.”

Despite the losses, the Garnet defense is in good hands. They will be led this season by veteran Jesse Handler ’09, as well as defensive midfielder Jacob Metzger ’10 and Max Wilson ’10.

In the meantime, the men are working hard in anticipation for upcoming conference action. They will kickoff the Centennial Conference schedule by heading off to Dickinson to take on the Rams this Saturday, March 21 at 1:00 p.m.

Disclosure note: Sports Columnist Kevin Friedenberg is a member of the men’s lacrosse team but had no role in the production of this article.

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