The Plattsburgh State men’s lacrosse team has started off its season with two wins and two losses.
“We’re looking pretty good right now. We lost two games to two really tough teams, but I think it’s made us better in a sense, so I think we’re looking pretty good for the rest of the season.” sophomore defenseman James Schulze said.
The most recent game resulted in a loss against Middlebury this past Tuesday 30-8.
Sophomore attackman Dilon Smith and junior midfielder Stephen Kane each gained a point for the Cardinals after the Panthers got the first point of the game.
The initial lead from PSU would not be held for a long time because after both Smith and Kane gained points for the Cards, the Panthers quickly responded with five consecutive goals.
Eventually, senior midfielder Kevin Litchauer would gain another point for PSU, but by halftime Middlebury would be in the lead by 15-4.
Litchauer and Kane would continue to score in the third quarter, along with junior attackman Connor Wolff. Going into the fourth quarter, the Panthers would take a lead of 22-6.
By the end of the fourth quarter, Middlebury would leave with a victory of 30-8.
Although PSU would not be leaving with a win that day, with their six practices a week, there is a good chance that they will be winning more often for Plattsburgh State.
“We practice as much as we’re allowed to by the NCAA, so six days a week. We don’t practice on Sundays and we play two games a week so we’re pretty much nonstop throughout the season,” head coach Joe May said.
Schulze said that practices are really fun, and that the coach tries to make them fun for the team, but hard work is always something that is seen throughout every practice.
According to May, the first part of the year is non-conference games and is used to help the team figure out who they are. To be able to be ready for the conference plays towards the end of the year, the Cards are going to use this crucial time to learn how to really be a team.
“I think we’re coming along nicely and building our new identity. Each team is different every year and I like where we’re at so far,” May said.
Only time will tell how PSU will do during the SUNYAC Championships because that is what really determines how they will do throughout the year.
“There’s always stuff to work on, we just have to figure out and identify what we have to do to just get better everyday,” Schulze said.
During the practices that the Cards have six times a week, the team keeps score of every drill they do and makes sure that each player is pushing each other to be the best they can be.
The players will continue to focus on the fundamentals throughout practices. As May said, “[We focus on] the little things, the little hustle plays. Taking care of the ball. Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. That is something that we are always preaching on.”
Morale continues to stay at a high, but the Cards’ season has been canceled due to concerns about the coronavirus.
Email Angelica Melara at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
