Lax Wins Second

It was a bittersweet week for the men's lacrosse team. They began the week by defeating Marietta College on the road Saturday 15-12. On Wednesday, the mighty Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan University traveled to Dill Field to take on the Yeomen. Oberlin put together a fine offensive performance against the Pioneers, but the Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan were head and shoulders above Oberlin. The Bishops thrashed the Yeomen 36-2 and improved their record to 9-3, 3-1 NCAC. Oberlin's record stands at 2-9, 0-6 NCAC.

On Saturday, Marietta jumped to a 4-1 lead in the first quarter. The Yeomen bounced back by scoring six goals to the Pioneers' one in the second quarter to take a 7-5 lead at halftime. The second half see-sawed back and forth, as the Yeomen outscored the Pioneers 4-3 in the third quarter. Both teams netted four goals in the final stanza.

Oberlin played its best offensive game of the year, controlling the ball for much of the game. Their passing game was also superb, as 12 of 15 goals were assisted. Sophomore attack/midfield Dave Rooklin scored five goals and assisted on four more and freshman attack Eric Vachon scored four goals and assisted on five. Junior attack/midfield Evan Kelly scored five goals in limited duty. Sophomore midfield/attack Michael Wexler and freshman midfield Matt Iorio rounded out the scoring with a goal and an assist and an assist, respectively.

The situation became more sinister when eighth-ranked Ohio Wesleyan University traveled to Dill Field. The Bishops were too fast, too strong, and too numerous. With their national ranking on their mind, the Bishops kept piling on the goals to try to beat Denison's margin of victory against Oberlin. The game was over in the first quarter, as Ohio Wesleyan scored ten goals to Oberlin's none. The Bishops tacked on eight more goals in the second quarter.

Nine goals in the third just added to the humiliation, as Ohio Wesleyan should have called the dogs off. Oberlin managed to get on the board in the third on goals by Rooklin and Wexler. The fourth quarter saw the clock finally run out after the Bishops scored eight goals.

Inconsistency still plagues the team. Lack of players hurts the team in practice, as it is difficult to simulate game conditions. The team's improvement is directly related to the amount of games they play. The future seems bright for the 2001 season. Captain Andrew Kim is the team's only senior, and though the team will miss his leadership, Iorio has shown the potential to fill his shoes.

His facing has been outstanding this season, and he has three more years to improve his technique. Rooklin and Vachon are starting to work the offense and control the ball better. Sophomore goalie Dave Smolev is performing admirably in the face of extreme pressure. Assistant Coach Jeff Ramsey has learned the game quickly and has aided Smolev in his development. With the returning players from this season, Head Coach Jim Donovan expects better things for the team next season. The Yeomen play Wheeling Jesuit this Wednesday at 5:00 at Dill Field.