The men’s lacrosse team (4-9 overall, 1-6 Patriot League) faced a Senior Day defeat at the hands of the Navy Midshipmen this past Saturday afternoon. The Leopards lost with a score of 9-5 at Fisher Stadium. Senior midfielder and team captain Cole Dutton had a strong performance, recording a hat trick in one of his last games as a Leopard.
After a scoreless opening quarter on both sides, the Midshipmen netted four unanswered goals in the second. That was until Dutton struck, scoring his first of the afternoon. This sparked a 3-0 run for the Leopards to make the score 4-3.
Navy scored the next four unanswered once again to make the score 8-3 with 6:10 remaining in the game. Dutton attacked with back-to-back goals just a minute apart from each other.
“I think the confidence my teammates and coaches instill in me each week is the main thing that led to my performance,” Dutton said. “The scout man did an amazing job getting the man up unit ready, and I was just fortunate to capitalize on my opportunities in the game.”
Navy was able to capitalize one more time, making the final score 9-5 in favor of the Midshipmen.
“I think despite what our record says, the progress we’ve made is really a testament to the work that the coaching staff and senior class has put in over the last four years,” sophomore attacker Peter Lehman said. “The combination of that and a group of coachable and hard-working underclassmen has allowed us to move the needle of this program and raise the standard for teams to come.”
In addition to Dutton, Lehman and freshman midfielder Liam Sargent were the two other goal scorers for the Leopards. Sophomore attacker Kalman Kraham had two assists on the day.
“It helps when you have great players like [Kraham] who can give you perfect feeds, which consistently makes putting the ball in the net the easy part,” Dutton said.
Dutton now has 10 goals on the season, and he has seen significant improvement throughout his Lafayette career. The senior is confident regarding the remaining two games on the season slate and the future of the squad.
“We are a group that always focuses on our response regardless of good or bad outcomes,” Dutton said. “We are just excited to respond and get right back to work. We have great opportunities in front of us with Bucknell and one of the top teams in the country in Virginia. As long as we keep the same response mentality, we will be ready to come out and compete with these teams.”
With two tough tests remaining on the slate, the Leopards will look to build confidence going into next season. The improvements that have been made throughout the season will be put to the test in these last two matchups.
“I think the next two games are really a great opportunity to show the character and heart behind this team,” Lehman said. “Although the playoffs are out of the picture, it’s only right for us to continue to improve and finish the season strong against some very skilled opponents.”
The Leopards will be traveling to Lewisburg, Pa. to face the Bucknell Bison tonight at 7:30 p.m.
