Snow was not going to stop this game from kicking off the 2005 season for the men’s lacrosse team.
Fairfield attained its first victory of the campaign with a 12-4 defeat over Holy Cross.
Alumni Field was cleared off from the snowstorm of two days earlier and did not have an effect on the Stags performance.
The Stags, who went 5-9 last year, shot early and often. They wracked up 47 shots, and ran up a 9-0 lead before the Crusaders managed to get on the board in the third quarter. An improved Stags defense held the Crusaders to 19 shots all game.
Josh Thornton ’06 netted the first goal of the game on a behind the back shot right in front of the goal on a quick pass from Brendan Finnerty ’08, one of 22 freshmen on Coach Ted Spencer’s roster.
Two more goals were added in the period by Charles Keinath ’07 and Mike Bocklett ’07. The goals were scored within three minutes of each other.
Keinath looked like he was Pete Vlahakis ’04 winning 16 of his 17 face-off attempts. He had one goal and two assists for the game on the offensive end. On defense, he led the team as he picked up eight ground balls.
“Charlie can do tremendous things after he picks up the ball. That was the best game I have ever seen an individual face-off man dominate like he did,” said Spencer.
Keinath’s performance was a welcome bonus. He is charged with the task of replacing Vlahakis, who ended his career fourth on the all-time NCAA faceoff percentage list, and was the 22nd overall pick in last year’s Major League Lacrosse draft.
The Stags’ best quarter was in the second, as they added four more goals to the scoreboard. Two of these goals were scored within nine seconds of each other by Tom Werney ’05 and Matt Castele ’08.
Chris Manley ’06 continued the scoring barrage at the 7:40 mark when he dove in front of the net and scored.
Holy Cross woke up in the second half, but couldn’t land a big enough comeback to chase Fairfield. John O’Sullivan punched in the first goal for the Crusaders at 5:25 into the third.
The Crusaders put four goals on the board late in the third quarter. Fairfield had consistent goal scoring the whole game, scoring three in the third quarter and two in the fourth.
Werney put the finishing touches on Holy Cross, scoring the last goal of the game at 2:49 in the fourth.
Goalie Michael Kruger ’07 had one of the best games of his collegiate career, allowing only four goals and saving 11 shots.
Bocklett, the second leading goal scorer last year as a freshman, led the team with three goals.
This game marked the fourth year in a row that the Stags have won the season opener and the fifth year in a row they have beaten Holy Cross.
Spencer was pleased with the way the team came out to play.
“We shut them out for three quarters, that is very difficult to do for a young team,” he said.
Although the team put up 12 goals and only allowed four, Spencer thinks there is still room for improvement.
“We have a lot of young kids, there were a lot of mistakes, but our potential is there, and I am pleased we are going in the right direction,” he said.
Next, Fairfield will play first year program, St. Johns before they travel to Florida to play Sacred Heart and Yale.
St. Johns will be an ECAC foe as Fairfield moves into that conference next year.
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