After finally getting back on track with strong performance against Daemen, last Saturday. I had hoped for another complete game, effort against Mercy, yesterday. But it was not to be, as Mercy exacted their revenge on us, for last year’s come from behind Overtime Victory.

Practice on Monday and Tuesday, was mostly sloppy and lackluster. So, as we drove the vans north to Dobbs Ferry, yesterday, I was not overly confident that we would play our best. The weather was nice, which always seems to raise our spirits, and as we warmed up, I felt hopeful, if not confident.

We could not have have began the game much worse, as the Mavericks raced out to a quick 4-0 lead after less than four minutes! The Lions answered with the next two goals and by early in the second quarter we had clawed back into the game, to trail 6-4.. The Mavericks responded by getting the next three tallies, for a 9-4 advantage, with less than six minutes remaining in the first half. Once again, Molloy fought their way back into the game, with the score at half time 10-7. Thirty Nine seconds into the second half, the Lions made it 10-8, and it felt like we were at a turning point!

But Mercy responded with seven consecutive goals, for a 17-8 lead with just under 12 minutes left in the final quarter! So many things went wrong for us during this critical span, much of it self inflicted. I give Mercy some credit here too, as they must have sensed the game was about to turn, and they answered, emphatically. As has always been the case, the Lady Lions did not just lie down. We finished the game, with five unanswered goals of our own, to make the final three minutes interesting. But we were unable to make it any closer than the final score of 17-13.

In analyzing this one, it is easy to see that it was a game of “runs”. Their runs, were just a bit better and longer than ours. This game was exasperating. In some stretches, we were sloppy, undisciplined and just played poorly. In other parts of the game, we played some of the best lacrosse, I have seen us play. Looking at the positive side of this, once again, we played some high level lacrosse, against a strong opponent.

We are now 6-6 this season, and still searching for that “signature victory”. If we can eliminate, or at least limit, the periods of, less than our best play, and extend those periods when we do play our best, then we may have that “A Game”. We get another opportunity, this Saturday at the University of New Haven, in a non-conference contest against another quality opponent.

Go Lions!