In the sport of lacrosse, the size of the roster can often be a limiting factor.
Game photos click here.
In the sport of lacrosse, the size of the roster can often be a limiting factor.
In fact, because of the fast pace of play and continued movement throughout, it can be difficult for a lacrosse team with small numbers to find the necessary energy to compete with teams with more depth as the game progresses into the final quarter.
For the West Geauga Wolverines Boys Lacrosse Team who hosted the Benedictine Bengals on April 18 at Howell Field, a lack of depth due to injuries loomed large in a 10-7 late fourth quarter setback.
Wolverines Head Boys Lacrosse Coach, James Weir explained the difficulty in competing with a small roster.
“We were playing against numbers,” Coach Weir said. “They had over 20 players, we only had 14. So we ran out of a little bit of gas during the fourth quarter.”
He continued: “It’s difficult when you’re going up against a team that has twenty plus players. They can swap them out. It’s just like hockey, you got to have that bench that supports the starters. And we just didn’t have that today.”
Although the Wolverines fell late to the Bengals, Carter Borcziak (hat trick) and senior captain, Kaden Zinner (2 goals), had excellent offensive performances. In fact, they both scored two goals early to help the Wolverines take a 4-1 first quarter lead.
To start the game, Borcziak, Zinner and their Wolverines’ teammates showed high energy and intensity during the first half.
Although the Bengals scored first with 7:37 left in the first quarter, just 20 seconds later, Borcziak tied the game at 1-1.
Excited to get the first goal, Borcziak said the Wolverines ran a nice fast break on the offensive attack.
“(I was) fired up, always like the first one,” Borcziak said. “I had Ben Mackin helping me with a lot of assists. We run off the fast break, one of us drops down, it was there, (I was) open.”
With a high level of energy, the Wolverines added three additional goals to close out the first quarter.
Scoring two of the three final first quarter goals for the Wolverines was Zinner.
Borcziak then scored the Wolverines final goal of the first quarter, his second of the game, to put the Wolverines up 4-1.
After the Wolverines took a three goal lead, the Bengals stormed back at the start of the second period.
Scoring three straight goals, the Bengals tied the score at 4-4 with 7:36 to go in the first half.
Just before halftime, late in the second quarter, the Wolverines took a 5-4 lead as senior midfielder Ben Mackin found the back of the net.
After intermission both teams traded goals throughout the third quarter.
The Bengals tied the game at 5-5 just after intermission.
Then, with 5:18 left in the third quarter, the Wolverines regained the lead, 6-5, when junior midfielder Vito Carcioppolo scored.
The Wolverines opened up a two goal lead at 7-5 with 1:01 remaining in the third quarter on Borcziak’s hat trick.
Just like on his first two goals, Borziak said that his third goal was obtained by running an effective fast break.
He said the key to scoring on the fast break was utilizing deception.
“(The key was deception), not letting the defense know,” Borcziak said. “You got to drive back so the defense either has to pick the other guy or go to you, (and) either or, we’re scoring.”
Limited by a small roster, the Wolverines did their best to stop the Bengals fourth quarter attack.
However, the Bengals were able to break a 7-7 tie to take the lead with 5:43 left in the contest.
They then added two final goals to claim a 10-7 victory over the Wolverines.
“Credit to them, they have two or three players that really move the ball well and we just ran out of gas,” Coach Weir said. “My guys, I couldn’t be prouder of how they played today.”
In addition to Borcziak leading the Wolverines offensive attack with a hat trick against the Bengals, he also netted four goals in the Wolverines 14-2 victory over the Cleveland Heights Tigers on April 13 at Howell field.
Against the Tigers, Borcziak said that the Wolverines did an excellent job of working together to move the ball efficiently and to get open to take shots on goal.
“Again (against the Tigers we) just had great ball movement, great looks, I had three on the crease there,” Borcziak said. “Just great looks, especially from all my teammates, definitely got to give it all to my teammates.”
With the great season that he is having, Borcziak is process focused on improvement.
“(My) goals are just to be a better lacrosse player and to be better than I was when I started.”
