CLAREMONT- The Monadnock Huskies boys lacrosse team proved too much for the Stevens Cardinals to handle Thursday, taking home a win, 16-11.
Monadnock took control very early on in the game, as the Huskies’ Cameron Boucher would tally his first goal at the 10:22 mark in the first quarter, making it 1-0. He would score again less than a minute later, putting the Huskies up 2-0.
Stevens had no answer for Boucher, as he would score again later in the period at the 4:46 mark and also at 1:59. After the first quarter, Monadnock led the Cardinals, 7-0.
Boucher would score two of his team’s seven goals in the second quarter as well, as they pushed their halftime lead to 14-0.
Even with the lopsided score, the Cardinals were getting a solid outing from their goalie. Though often hung out to dry by the defense, Tucker Derosier recorded 16 saves.
“First of all, they are a very good team,” said Stevens Head Coach Pete Lynch. “It was also a plain lack of effort.” The demoralizing first half left plenty of room for improvement in the second. “I challenged them to come out and play hard, if not for me, than for their goalie,” he said.
The motivation appeared to light a fire under the Cardinals, as they came out of the break looking to score and get themselves back into the game. Alex Devre would score the first of two goals early in the third, making it 14-1. Hunter Durkee would put one in the net with 4:20 remaining to bring the score to 14-2. Then, Quintin Bicknell would make it 14-3 with the first of his two goals on the night. With 34.8 second on the clock, Keaghan McAllister put another in net for Stevens, making it 14-4 heading into the final quarter.
After a quick goal from the Huskies that brought the score to 15-4, McAllister would quickly respond with two more of his own, bringing the Cardinals within nine. Monadnock would score one more before a five consecutive Stevens goals, including three more from McAllister to give him six, making the final score 16-11.
“We came out hard,” said Lynch of what changed from the first to the second half. “We hustled to the 50/50 balls. When you get the ground balls, you get possession, and when you have possession that leads to goals.”
Monadnock is now 6-2 with the win, as they ready for their contest Friday versus Inter-Lakes-Moultonborough. Stevens remains winless, but with time to rest before a game next week against Campbell.
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