By Esteban Bachelet | Sports Assistant
After losing in the conference semi-finals to Denison University last season, the Lords lacrosse team started the new season with a 7-6 win against the Albion College Britons at a bleacher-less McBride Field. With cement blocks instead of seats, spectators lined up above the construction site in front of the field house.
However, the lack of bleachers — which were slated to be finished at the start of the Lords’ season — did not affect the result. The win sets the Lords on track for a good start, a point of emphasis since the team’s 1-4 start last season.
“Our goal is to compete for a conference championship,” Head Coach Doug Misarti said. “But you have to take the right steps.”
Fritz Waine ’15 scored the Lord’s first two goals, giving them a 2-1 advantage heading into the second quarter. Waine used his speed and ability to get his hands free to split the defense.
For his performance on Saturday, Waine received the first North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week award for the 2014 season.
Alex Lopez ’17 scored before Waine scored again and completed his hat trick. Later on, Trey Trudell ’16 gave the Lords a 5-2 lead.
“Our whole offense looked significantly better from last year, and I think it showed,” Waine said.
Kenyon launched 40 shots compared to Albion’s 20, forcing the opposing goalie to make 11 saves. Kenyon netminder Patrick Shevelson ’16 played well, racking up seven saves.
“We weren’t giving them any opportunities. The defense was playing really well,” Shevelson said.
Scoring the first two goals of the third quarter and cutting the lead to 5-4, Albion stayed close and threatened to tie the game. Nicky Lenard ’15 gave the Lords two insurance goals that sealed the win at 7-6.
“He had two goals in transition,” Misarti said of Lenard, who was injured last week. “Him finishing off those plays [was big], and that’s not to say it was just him. It was a team effort to get him the ball in those situations. I think him getting out there and getting that kind of contribution to a winning affair was a good thing for us.”
Misarti is not ready to chalk up the win as a blueprint for the rest of the season, however.
“We need to shoot better and get the ball on net more and test the goalie more than we are doing,” he said. “I am happy with that shot total, but we have to shoot better.”
The Lords will take on the College of Mount St. Joseph Lions on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. The Lords last played the Lions in 2009, soundly beating them 13-5.