We are now in our rhythm of two games per week. It does not give much time for recovery, or preparation. But while, it can be something of a grind, I think that playing in games, can be the best way to gain experience and improve.

So, Wednesday, the Lady Lions travelled to New Jersey to take on the Caldwell Cougars. Midday travel in the Metropolitan Area, is always a crapshoot. And this time, we got slammed. A trip that should take an hour and a half was more like two and a half! We still arrived with plenty of time, it was just aggravating. It was a nice day for lacrosse, and I thought we warmed up well. Caldwell has not been a strong team, since I have been at Molloy. I am not sure of that had anything to do with it, but we got off to a slow start, and found ourselves behind 1 – 0 after five minutes of play. Slowly but surely, the Lions began to click and take control of the game. By halftime, Molloy led 9 – 2. Though the Cougars are a much improved team, this year, by the end of the third quarter, we had a 14 – 3 lead. The Lions had eight different goal scorers, en route to a 16 – 5 victory on the road. With games like this one, against a weaker opponent, it can be difficult to come away feeling good about it. Because even though you win easily, it seems like it should have been more dominant. I am done thinking about it that way. Let’s take the win, and get back to Long Island!

The return journey to Molloy was just as bad as the ride to Caldwell!

Thursday and Friday, we were back to film and practice, in preparation, for Saturday’s make up game against the Southern Connecticut State Owls, a team we have had very close games with, the past three years. The Owls are off to a strong start, this season. So going into Saturday’s (yesterday) game, I was feeling as though we would have to play our best game yet, to compete with them.

Yesterday was a beautiful day, and I really liked the team energy and focus, during our warm up. I was confident that our game plan was good, and more importantly, that our players understood it and were capable of executing it.

I really liked how we began the game, getting the first goal, before surrendering the next two, and then finishing the first quarter, tied at two. The Lions fell behind 4 – 2, but answered with two of our own to make it 4 – 4, with about five minutes remaining in the half. But, the Owls scored the next two goals, taking a 6 – 4 lead into the intermission. I was thrilled with how we were competing, and kept battling back, against a formidable opponent. I knew it would be important to start the second half, well.

We hung tough, but the Owls scored three of the next four goals, and had a 9 – 5 lead midway through the third quarter. The Lions scored next, but would get no closer than 9 – 6, as Southern CT., scored the final three goals, handing Molloy a 12 – 6 loss at home.

I still felt that we had a chance to catch them, when we made it 9 – 6, since there was still almost thirteen minutes left to play. But, though we played hard throughout, and kept it competitive, well into the final quarter, in the end, we were done in by the same mistakes that have plagued us in all of our losses, this season. We received nine cards (two yellow, seven green) which resulted in three Southern CT goals. We failed on six clears and had seventeen turnovers. It is tough to win, when you have numbers, like that.

So, once again, we are looking for the silver lining. We played much better, and for a longer period of time, in this contest. We have shown, we are capable of some pretty high level lacrosse. We just have to be more consistent with it, during the course of the game.

We will need to get it figured out, and quickly, as Conference play, begins on Wednesday, when we travel to Mercy to take on the nationally ranked Mavericks. We will need to play our best lacrosse for a full sixty minutes, to have a chance to win.

Go Lions!