In the midst of a tough stretch in their schedule, the Oberlin men’s lacrosse team dropped three games over the past few weeks to two NCAC powers and a non-conference rival.

The Yeomen fell 20-2 at Ohio Wesleyan April 16 and lost 19-0 to Denison University Tuesday at home; both teams are ranked in the top 20 in Division III.

The team also hosted Washington and Jefferson College last weekend in a rematch of their March 29 contest, a 12-10 Oberlin loss.

This time, the margin was the same, as Washington and Jefferson rode the coattails of a momentum shift to a 10-8 victory.

In the third quarter, two things happened to take control of the game away from the Yeomen, holders of a four-goal lead. Starting defender junior Ryan Silakoski injured his shoulder, altering the lineup, and a missed call on Washington and Jefferson interference caused first-year goalie Jared Pickard’s pass to be knocked into the goal.

After that, the tide turned the Presidents’ way, though Silakoski was able to return to the game. They scored four unanswered goals in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter to cement the come-from-behind victory.

“We all just really wanted to win really bad,” Pickard said. “It’s disheartening to lose, but that’s what happens — you just have to bounce back and finish the season.”
First-year Will Jaffee scored three goals, senior Erik Vachon added two goals and two assists, and junior Aaron Krohn contributed two goals.

“It’s tough going out with only 13 guys,” Vachon said, “but I feel that we left it all out on the field and that’s all you can ask for.”

Ohio Wesleyan and Denison sit atop the NCAC in first and second place, respectively, while Oberlin is in last.

Bright spots in the game against the Battling Bishops included goals by Jaffee and senior Sam Bryar, and 22 saves by Pickard.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Yeomen, either, as they travel tomorrow to West Virginia to face Wheeling Jesuit, a Division II school.

Oberlin has, however, shown improvement from last season’s winless campaign, a development that Pickard and Vachon attribute to a strong work ethic.

“We worked hard all season to improve on last year’s results and never giving up until the last whistle,” Pickard said.

Vachon similarly drew attention to the “new defensive schemes and the heart, hustle and dedication the team has shown throughout the year.”