Wildcats Boys Lacrosse Starts Season With 1-2 Record

 After a promising start to the season, the Milton High boys lacrosse are in the midst of a two-game losing streak. Following an impressive 13-8 win over Hull, the Wildcats suffered a 9-3 loss to Whitman-Hanson followed by a 17-8 defeat to Brookline. As a result, the Wildcats now stand at 1-2 overall.

“We came out and we controlled the ball and outscored Hull 13-2,’’ said first-year coach Ben Midura. “Our defense also played well, holding Hull to single-digit goals.”

Dominating the first, second and fourth quarters, the Wildcats engineered an early start, and never looked back.

“Other than the third quarter, we possessed the ball on offense for long stretches and were able to create scoring opportunities off settled play and transition,’’ said Midura. “We were in control of the game throughout the first half and the fourth quarter.  The only time we lost focus and took our foot off the pedal was during the third quarter when we allowed five unanswered goals.”

After grabbing a 10-3 halftime lead, the Wildcats surrendered five goals in the third quarter, closing the gap within two before regrouping with three unanswered in the fourth. Offensively, Brooks Gallagher led the way, recording seven goals and two assists while Brendan Kelley added a goal and two assists. Also contributing to the scoring was Jack Kosak with a goal and an assist. Defensively, Jay Rosenberg held the fort, stopping 10 shots en route to the win.

“Maintaining our focus throughout the game is an area where we need improve,’’ said Midura.  “We have to play a complete game and eliminate our mental mistakes.  The players are playing hard, now they need to play smarter. We were pleased with the way the team came out in the first quarter and ran our offense and defense.  We were also pleased with the way the team responded during the fourth quarter when we stopped Hull's five-goal run and finished the game on a 3-0 run of our own.”

Despite a valiant effort, the Wildcats suffered a tough 9-3 defeat to Whitman-Hanson. Even in defeat, Midura was more than pleased with his team’s efforts.

“The only highlight of the game was our domination of face-offs.  Jack O'Brien and Pat Miller combined to win 13 out of 16 face-offs,’’ said Midura. “We possessed the ball for a majority of the game, but were unable to capitalize off of the opportunities we created.  On the other hand, Whitman-Hansen was able to capitalize off a majority of the opportunities they created despite possessing the ball far less than us. We may have won the possession game, but we were never truly in control because we could not find the back of the net and we made many unforced errors.”

Trailing 4-2 after the first half, the Wildcats were well within striking distance before Whitman-Hanson erupted on a third period surge to secure the victory. Offensively, Brendan Kelly led the way with two goals apiece while Rosenberg recorded 12 saves in net.

“I was pleased that we won the groundball war, won the possession game, dominated the face-off circle, and had solid play in the goal,’’ said Midura. “We have to value the ball and execute our offense.  We also need to eliminate the mental errors we make by increasing our focus during both games and practices.”

Even with another solid effort, the Wildcats suffered a 17-8 defeat in Tuesday night’s Bay State Conference match-up at Brooks Field.

“The first quarter and beginning of the second quarter consisted of good execution by Brookline and a combination of flatness, mental errors, and bad luck for Milton,’’ said Midura.

Following a sluggish first quarter, the Wildcats emerged with a late run in the second quarter to close within 11-6 at the half.

“Despite the way we started and the score, we controlled the flow of the game at different points of the game, but not enough to overcome the hole we dug for ourselves,’’ said Midura. “We clearly held control during our 4-0 run to finish the first half.

We had multiple goal scorers, which is a result of ball movement and execution on offense.  We had multiple players who played well.”

Trailing 11-2 early in the second quarter, the Wildcats held their own through out the second half, battling the Warriors to a 6-6 tie throughout the duration of the first half and the second.

“After falling behind 11-2 by the eight minute mark in the second quarter, the team focused and played Brookline to a 6-6 game,’’ said Midura. “The team’s play from that point on was the most inspired play I have seen all year.  My expectations of the team were reinforced, while their confidence in their own ability was drastically enhanced.”

Minding the net, Rosenberg fared solid, recording 16 saves in the loss.

Even as the Wildcats improved throughout the game, Midura was well aware that his team’s slow start was a crucial factor in the loss.

“I was pleased with our play, nearly every aspect, from the eight minute mark in the second quarter on,’’ said Midura. “The players are beginning to realize what they are capable of, what hard play feels like, and are building confidence.  Despite the score, we learned a lot about ourselves as a team during this game and will look to build on the successes we did have against Brookline.”