Cumberland Defeats MHS Lacrosse Team Amidst Controversial Calls

After a big win on the road against Lincoln High School last Thursday, the Middletown High School Boys Varsity Lacrosse team hoped to continue that momentum and gain some ground in the tightly contested Division II South.

Those hopes were dashed at the hands of Cumberland High School in a tough 5-1 loss on home turf Tuesday night.

Captain Ian Larcom got his team off on the right foot with huge hits on Cumberland players that established a physical tone that lasted the majority of the game.

Cumberland jumped on the board first with a goal, but Middletown responded a short time later with a goal of their own. Cumberland put one more in the Middletown net to take a 2-1 lead.

The second period saw the penalty flags start to fly against both teams. At one point there were so many yellow flags flying it looked like someone assassinated Big Bird.

There were several questionable calls and several calls that clearly should have been called that were not.

The crowd and the majority of players and coaches seemed to grow frustrated with the calls on the field. An intense first half came to a close with Cumberland still on top 2-1.

The second half started off with Cumberland going on the offensive and sneaking two goals in the net to give themselves some breathing room against the Islanders.  It was now 4-1 with only minutes remaining in the third, which ticked to a close with tempers flaring on both sides.

The fourth quarter saw the tensions over the calls or lack thereof almost boil over. A Cumberland player had gone down on the field due to an injury and the officials apparently missed this player down for several seconds.  Both coaches were yelling that there was a player down. Middletown's coach went so far as to tell his players to "Hold the ball" until the refs saw the downed Cumberland player.  

After Cumberland's head coach raced on the field and then escorted his injured player off the field, he had a few words for an official. The official then responded with "I'll call the game, coach!" to which Cumberland's coach responded loudly "I wish you would!"

This was a sentiment that was echoed by the fans on both sides as the coach's comments drew applause and cheers from the crowd.

The game eventually came to an end, not before Cumberland put one more in the net.  

The final score was 5-1 with Cumberland taking the win.

With the loss, the Islanders fall to fourth place in the Division, but at 4-3, Middletown is only a game behind first place East Greenwich.  

The Islanders are still within striking distance of the Division lead, but with only 6 games left on the season, every game will be critical for this team.

No game is as important as the next, an understatement to be sure as the next game for Middletown is against first place East Greenwich on Friday. Start time is 6 p.m. under the lights at Gaudet Field.

The Islanders will host that game as well and it will be a great opportunity for Middletown to stake a claim in a division in which first and fourth place are separated by only one game.

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