Chicco, defense spark lacrosse team

The men's lacrosse team scored its biggest win of the young season on Wednesday, as a strong second half led the Jumbos to a convincing 9-5 victory over the Bowdoin Polar Bears.

Behind eight second half saves from sophomore goalie Luke Chicco, the Jumbos outscored Bowdoin 6-2 in the second half, after the game was tied at halftime. Bowdoin had been ranked third in the latest NEILA Div. III rankings.

Eight different players scored the Jumbos' nine goals, which included two second half tallies by junior midfielder Matt Malatesta. The win stretches the Jumbo streak to five with an overall record of 5-1, including a perfect 2-0 record in NESCAC play.

With three goalies vying for the starting spot, Chicco has strung together two straight victories with 14 and 20 saves respectively, posting an impressive 72 percent save percentage over the course of the season.

"Luke is doing an outstanding job," coach Mike Daly said. "He really extends to the entire defense."

Chicco's and the defense's effort lifted the struggling Jumbo offense and gave it the boost it needed to settle in and produce.

"Our defense played spectacularly over the last two games. They couldn't do anything," said sophomore David Taylor, the team leader in points with (23). "Trinity and Bowdoin had pretty high powered offenses. The defense pretty much shut them down the whole game. Their goals were well deserved."

The defense held the Polar Bears to only two goals in the second half on the strength of eight saves by Chicco; meanwhile, the varied weapons on offense overcame first half difficulties to break the game open.

"It shows what we're about," Daly said. "We're difficult to scout. It's not just one guy, it's a team game."

The victory over Bowdoin saw different players contributing in the second half. The multiple goal scorers put pressure on the Polar Bear defense and made their coverage more difficult.

"[Our offense] definitely helps since the defense can't focus on a few players by sliding early and helping out anybody who might be getting individually beat," sophomore Bryan Griffin said. "It was a team win."

The team came together to overcome difficult playing conditions, namely Bowdoin's turf field. Daly provided a new strategy at halftime, which proved helpful.

"We had some trouble with the turf in the first half," Daly said. "I told them to forget the bounce shot and just throw straight into in the net."

The Jumbos did just that; spurred by Devin Clarke's fourth quarter goal, the Jumbos secured a 7-5 lead. With a second goal from Malatesta and one from freshman Mike O'Brien in the first nine minutes of the fourth, the Jumbos put Bowdoin away for good. Leading a diverse group of scorers, Malatesta netted two important goals.

"He made the game turn," Daly said. "He made a lot of things happen. His two goals were huge."

After Taylor tied the game at four in the third, Malatesta managed a key goal to give the Jumbos a lead they would not relinquish. After Malatesta's score off a faceoff to make it 5-4, the Jumbos would not trail again. Clarke capped the run with an overhand goal of his own, putting the Jumbos in front 6-4.

Despite the win, the squad still sees room for improvement.

"We need more consistency, especially clearing the ball," Coach Daly said. "We need to keep working and improving mentally."

Two important games loom on the horizon for the Jumbos. This Saturday the Jumbos take on NESCAC rival Williams, also undefeated in conference play and 5-1 overall. On Wednesday, the Jumbos take on defending Div III National Champion Middlebury at home.