Wildcats Easily Defeat Hamden Hall 19-9

By Mitch Silver

It’s been a slow start out of the gate for Head Coach Matt Rosolen’s Boys’ Lacrosse team, which dropped five of their first six contests. Like everyone else, the Wildcats didn’t play last spring. And the 2021 version has only six seniors on the roster, so it’s taken a while for the younger and less experienced players to know their roles.

However, it all came together May 15 at home on a warm, sunny day against visiting Hamden Hall. Junior Colin McLane lost the opening face-off, but won the ball back on a stick check. Midfielder Braden Bass picked it up and hit the pipe with his shot before putting in his own rebound with less than a minute gone.

A minute later, Bass fed senior captain Jack Cousin in close for a two-fisted shot that made it 2-0. Senior defenseman Oliver Kies won the ensuing face-off, and the ball came to McLane. Moving from left to right, the big attackman shot back to his left for the Wildcats’ third goal.

Although the Hornets would score three times in the first quarter, Rye Country Day came up with three more of their own, including a score by co-captain Charlie Keating with under five minutes to go.

The Wildcats’ defense, anchored by senior co-captain George Megdanis, and Nick Vlasto in goal, held Hamden Hall scoreless in the second twelve minutes of play. Meanwhile, midfielders Jack Oehler and Alex Pearle tallied, as did McLane, twice. The score at the half was 10-3 for the home side.

Two and a half minutes into the second half, junior Jock Maggard scored on a grass cutter after a melee in front of the net. The Hornets scored a minute later on new goalie Joey DiBiase, but less than two minutes later, Jack Cousin got that one back off a length-of-the-field run by Megdanis.

Exactly 30 seconds later, Hamden’s goalkeeper dropped a ball he was controlling, and Charlie Keating scored the goal of the day when he alertly picked it up and flicked it into the net over his shoulder. The Hornets would score their fifth goal, but the Wildcats tacked on three more before the buzzer sounded.

The final period was more or less a free-for-all, featuring a save by DiBiase that wound up inside his shirt.

Afterwards, Coach Rosolen said, “We finally played a complete 48-minute game. We’re a young team that had chances to win a couple earlier, but except for an easy win (by 19-2 over the Masters School), we just didn’t get it done.”

The Wildcats next host St. Luke’s May 19, before traveling to Hackley May 23 at 3 p.m.