The Chatham boys' lacrosse team followed up an impressive 15-10 victory over Seton Hall with a 10-2 one-sided victory over the Bernards High School Mountaineers at Cougar Field on Friday. The win improves the Cougars to 3-0 on the season.
The game began with a defensive struggle in the early minutes as scoring chances were at a minimum. A solid early defensive effort from the Bernards defense caused the Cougars to miss early scoring chances they would have normally capitalized on. Senior Rob Guida uncharacteristically hit a post, which allowed Bernards to weather the storm.
Unfortunately for them, there are two Guidas on the Chatham team. Nick Guida broke the deadlock early on and gave the Cougars the lead. Guida would add another goal before the first quarter would end.
Find out what's happening in Chathamfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"He's doing a better job," said Head Coach Anthony Calandra. "[He's] hungry to score."
It was only a matter of time before Rob Guida would pad the team's lead and take part in the scoring. Guida sliced through the Bernards defense with quickness, leaving flatfooted Bernards defenders in his wake. He would score the next three goals for the Cougars, and would finish with his usual game-leading four goals and two assists.
Find out what's happening in Chathamfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Unlike the previous game, this game was all but decided at halftime, with the Cougars holding a decisive 7-1 lead. Bernards showed some offensive effort in the second half but ultimately scored only one additional goal. Goaltender Mac Nestler continued his solid start to the season with a number of flashy saves.
Calandra, however, was a bit disappointed in his team's performance.
"We played sloppy," he said. "I think today was our first step backwards." The Chatham team found itself continuing to struggle on draws, which Rob Guida cited as a weak point for the team. The first half saw the Cougars lose six of nine draws to Bernards, and the team continued with more of the same in the second half.
"We need to keep practicing it," said Calandra. "It's an art that needs to be mastered."
Chatham hopes to continue its winning ways when it plays Columbia High School on Saturday.
