Randolph-Macon (3-2) hosted the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) opener for Guilford men’s lacrosse (0-8) on March 21. With an 18-6 loss, the Quakers failed to qualify for the ODAC tournament, but can find a place in the tournament with a win at Virginia Wesleyan College on Saturday, March 27.The ODAC is one of the best conferences in Division III college lacrosse, where competition includes Roanoke, currently ranked third in the nation, and Washington and Lee, ranked eighth. Making the 2010 tournament would mark only the second time in Quaker history for men’s lacrosse.
In a March 17 game, the Quakers suffered a 20-5 loss against the University of New England. Last week’s losses continue the Quakers’ 0-8 losing streak to start the season.
But assistant coach Zach Clark is hopeful that his players will shake off the losses and finish the season with wins. Clark saw the potential for a turnaround in the fourth-quarter fight against New England, where, in spite of a 15-4 deficit, the Quakers remained tenacious.
“One thing I can say about these guys is that they never quit,” said Clark. “They really fought back in the fourth quarter. They have no quit in their hearts.”
Sophomore Greg Nash cited the team’s comparatively small size and young roster as obstacles to a winning season. This year’s team is composed of just 20 players, among which only eight are upperclassmen.
“We only have one senior on the team – Tyler Zivic – and all of our offensive players are freshmen,” said Clark. “This was just one of those days where we really showed our age.”
Mental mistakes were evidence of the team’s inexperience, Clark said. But regardless of the defeat, he regarded the players’ overall performances with praise.
“Mark Guillen, our goalie, has seen more shots than any goalie in college lacrosse in the country,” Clark said. “He did great – he blocked about 50 percent of shots against New England.”
At Saturday’s match, Guillen, a junior, made 15 saves in goal, making this his seventh game of the season with 11 or more saves.
Wednesday’s performance pointed to the team’s ability to adapt to and overcome the handicap of their age.
“Russel Smith was a standout player Wednesday,” said Clark. “He didn’t play like a freshman.”
Smith defied his age by making three turnovers, an assisted turnover, and a groundball pickup.
The game against Randolph-Macon told the story of an improving team. Clark regarded the losing score with optimism.
“Randolph-Macon is a better team than the other (eastern teams),” Clark said. “But we still played hard and held them to just about the same score.”
At the Randolph-Macon match, sophomore Daniel Dowd was Guilford’s highest-scoring player, scoring two goals and one assist.
Sophomore Chris Jacob credits their strong play to the team’s dedication.
“Our greatest strength right now is that everyone is willing to work together to do better,” said Jacob. “The people on our team are willing to put in the extra time – to work harder at practice and watch extra films – to be better prepared. When we played Randolph-Macon, we were the better-prepared team.”
Jacob, like Clark, thinks that the team still has a chance at achieving their season’s goal: making the ODAC tournament.
“We reached the ODAC tournament last year, and we’ve basically kept the same cast this year,” said Jacob. “So it’s still a real possibility for us.