Mother Nature wasn’t the only one wreaking havoc at Ravens Road Field on Sept. 21.
The Ravens men’s lacrosse team battled the elements and came away with a huge 24-0 win over the visiting Concordia University Stingers on a cold and rainy Sunday night.
The win came as a result of a scoring binge that took off in the second half, led by Aaron Woods’ five goals and two assists.
“I like that we were able to stay concentrated and bring it back together the whole game,” Ravens head coach Jeremy Strong said. “Last time we played these guys we got a little bit relaxed and they got a goal on us. We broke down on defense. This game we were able to play solid [defense]. We were able to possess the ball and play our game instead of theirs.”
The Ravens came out swinging in the first half, with Noah Hoselton striking in the first two minutes of the game. His first of five goals came as he powered through four Stingers defensemen and deposited it behind the goaltender.
Ravens’ draw man Andrew MacNeill was a contributor as well, amassing four assists on the evening. While the Ravens did come away with a decisive win, MacNeill had a few reservations.
“We could have done better, it’s just that we were a little lax in the second quarter and I think that got to our heads a bit,” he said. “After the half we pulled it together real well, it was good. Big goal differential.”
Ravens midfielder Adam D’Agostino agreed the second half was where it all came together after a lackluster second quarter.
“I think we started a bit slow, but we really pulled it back together,” he said. “We need goal differential in our league so I’m happy we came together as a team in the end and worked hard for the second half.”
The Ravens have slowly been inching their way up the standings this year, at 4-1 sitting second in the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association east conference.
Strong highlighted the impact of new additions to the squad, as well as some improved veterans, adding to both the Concordia win and the big picture.
“We only have a week of training camp together as a squad, and we’ve got a lot of new rookies that have come out this year and really stepped up and helped out,” he said. “Some of the guys returning are just that much more mature. They’re playing more lacrosse in the offseason with their respective clubs, coming back and contributing more. Guys have really stepped up.”
The Ravens’ next game will be a regional rivalry matchup against the University of Ottawa (U of O) Gee-Gees.
“It’s definitely going to be tougher than this game,” MacNeill said. “We played them in exhibition and it certainly wasn’t a blowout. They’ve come together as a team so it should be a good match up.”
The game will take place Sept. 26 at U of O’s Gil O Julien Park.
