Men's Lacrosse wins in overtime thriller

During a spring break when other teams took off for sunny Florida, the men's lacrosse team toughed it out at home, pulling off an impressive 8-7 victory in sudden-death overtime against St. Vincent College on Mar. 16.

Defender junior Chris Lavin said, "I was sooo glad to see that goal." That goal was a result of co-captain junior Sam Krasnow's dramatic, lunging shot that bounced low and past St. Vincent's goalie.

After senior Raffi Jacoby's goal tied the muddy contest at five apiece, late goals by Krasnow and first-year sensation John Steckle put the Yeoman up by two with only a minute left in regulation. That minute proved to be a nightmare for Oberlin as two bizarre goals by St. Vincent forced the game into overtime.

But Krasnow managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. After getting a pass at mid-field, he ran the left side and all the way around the goal. When his teammates cleaved the backside in anticipation, Krasnow beat his man and, diving, put the ball in the back of the net.

Krasnow attributes the win to more than just his performance, however. "Our team showed both composure and resilience," he said. "Everybody contributed to the win."

The rest of break didn't go quite as well for the Yeoman. After beating St. Vincent, the team dropped games to Northwood University and conference opponent Wittenberg University.

The Mar. 19 game against Northwood was, in the words of one team member, "A victory for the evil forces in the world." Oberlin is usually competitive with Northwood, but after a four-hour bus trip, Lavin described the team as "not ready to play." The 14-6 defeat was almost redeemed by solid performances from junior Scott Sheppard, playing his first year in goal, and first-year Alec Nisbit, who had a hat-trick.

Things were no better against Wittenberg on Mar. 22, as the team came out unorganized and failed to communicate. After scoring first, the team fell apart, eventually losing 15-3. The loss of Nisbit to knee problems only made things worse.

This year's team features an experienced defense; all the starters on defense are returning, including co-captain senior (and All-NCAC `96) David Kumpe and co-captain senior Mike Brown.

Still, it will be tough to make up for the graduation of the team's two leading scorers. Ryan Kelly, perennial all-leaguer and arguably the finest player in Division III lacrosse will be sorely missed. The team is also low on numbers; while most teams substitute whole midlines repeatedly during a game, Yeomen Matt Jenson, Garth Stidolph and Eric Kuehnl are doing the work of six men.

With a host of players who are new to the team, the Yeomen's lack of experience may hurt, but hope springs eternal. The players are having fun and spirits are up. Krasnow said, "Unique personalities make our team what it is: dynamic!"