Several Players Shine for Milton High Boys Lacrosse

Even with a 1-4 mark to start the season, the boys lacrosse team continues to see a light at the end of the tunnel, following a 17-6 defeat to Norwood, the Wildcats suffered a dramatic 14-13 defeat to Archbishop Williams on Wednesday.

While the Wildcats remain on a four-game losing streak heading into Saturday’s non Bay State Conference match-up against Hull, first year-coach Ben Midura remains optimistic.

“We need to overcome the mistakes and the foolish penalties that we’ve been committing during the past few games,’’ said Midura. “If we do that, then I think we’ll be in great shape heading into next week. We should be able to turn things around and put together a winning streak.”

As the Wildcats’ progress remains modest and steady during the first part of the season, Midura has noted the fine efforts of several top athletes, including senior captain and midfielder Brendan O’Halloran, a four-year varsity player, who was shifted from attack to midfield.

“Brendan has been a  four-year varsity player,’’ said Midura. “He has played attack for almost his entire high school career, but was asked to move to midfield this year.  As a midfielder, he has stepped up on defense and has scored some big goals  on offense this season.  He is a very important part of our midfield group.”

Other key contributors for the Wildcats include junior attacker Brooks Gallagher, junior midfielder Jack O’Brien and sophomores attacker Conor Greaney and Brendan Kelley.

Gallagher, who’s emerged as the team’s leading scorer has also been a major factor in distributing the ball while serving as a key factor in the Wildcats’ offensive attack.

“Brooks is one of the hardest working players every game day,’’ said Midura  “He is a great feeder, shooter and  rider.  His intensity each game day consistently places him at the top of stat sheet for scoring, assists, groundballs, and takeaways.  He is developing into a complete player who is very important to the success of our offense.”

O’Brien, who’s developed into another solid midfielder, has emerged as a solid  specialist up front, while winning over 60 percent of all face-offs this season.
“Jack is our top face-off player, a defensive midfielder, and a productive member of our offense from the midfield,’’ said Midura. “Jack has worked very hard to improve his face-off skills  and is a team leader through example.”

As for attackers, Midura has also noticed the rapid improvements in Greaney and Kelley. Not only have they served as key catalysts on the offensive end, but also have contributed heavily to the team’s offensive output throughout the course of the season.

“Conor is developing into a very good player,’’ said Midura. “Conor is extremely coachable and has gained confidence in himself, which has allowed him to make some big plays for us this  season.

As for Kelley, Midura has praised his continued progress and ability to connect on key passes while being double teamed by long stick defenders in the offensive end.

“Brendan is a very skilled player who was a big part of the team’s offense last year and even bigger part of it this year,’’ said Midura  “Over the course of this season, Brendan has  developed into a great feeder and scorer who can handle the pressure of the other defense and make big plays.”

After suffering a tough 17-6 loss at the hands of top-ranked Norwood, the Wildccats suffered a heartbreaking 14-13 overtime defeat to Archbishop Williams. Despite the loss, Midura was quite pleased with his team’s efforts.

“We had multiple goal scorers and multiple assisted goals,’’ said Midura of the Archbishop Williams game. “The whole team worked extremely hard, but the game did not end in our favor.  Despite the final score, this was a great game for players and fans.  The close score, a late-game tying goal, and overtime were all valuable experiences for the players.”

While the Wildcats maintained the lead throughout the bulk  of the  game, Midura cited that defensive miscues along with several penalties eventually led to the defeat.

“We committed nine penalties, but our man down group was able to limit 
Archbishop Williams’ man PP to just two goals on those nine  opportunities,’’ said Midura  “Despite the success of our man down group, each  penalty we committed decreased our opportunities on offense. Overall, we need to eliminate the mistakes that we can control, including foolish penalties and forced passes as we move forward into the season. We have some games coming up that I strongly feel like we can turn things around and generate a winning streak.”

After playing Hull on Saturday, the Wildcats return to Bay State Conference action on Tuesday night when they’ll host archrivals Braintree at Brooks Field.