The Dartmouth men's lacrosse team started its season this weekend, in dominant fashion, as it cruised to two home victories over Quinnipiac and Siena. With eight returning starters and a formidable freshman class, the Big Green are striving for a third-straight winning season and an Ivy League title that seems within reach more than ever.
Saturday's battle against Quinnipiac was over before it started, as Dartmouth netted nine shots before the Bobcats got on the scoreboard. Tucker Prudden of Quinnipiac attempted to motivate his team in a late rally, scoring three goals in the fourth period, but it would prove too little too late as Dartmouth sealed a 16-9 victory.
High scorers for the Big Green included sophomore Nicholas Bonacci, who added insult to injury by sniping his fifth goal with four seconds remaining in the game. "This win is an important step for us," said Bonacci, "but we have a lot of work to do if we are going to achieve our ultimate goal of a national championship."
As for athletic sensation James Coffin '06, it was just another day at the office. The Coffinator showed why he is one of the most explosive attackmen in the country, contributing five goals and two assists in the contest.
Other major contributors for the Green included juniors Ryan Danehy and Alec Hufnagel. Danehy ended the fourth-quarter Quinnipiac run with his third goal of the game, while Hufnagel added four assists and two goals of his own. Senior captain Ben Grinnell also scored one goal and assisted three, while sophomore Andrew "The Sick One" Ciccone won an impressive 11 out of 14 face-offs.
Sunday's afternoon game against Siena was a near mirror image of the day before. Despite trailing 3-0 in the first quarter, Dartmouth scored nine straight goals in the second quarter to take a commanding halftime lead. The second half was evenly contested, but in the end, the Saints of Siena fell in a 17-9 Dartmouth victory.
Coffin and Danehy again displayed all-star performances, each scoring four goals. Coffin also added three assists to put the finishing touches on a spectacular weekend.
"Opening up with two wins this weekend was very important," said the star attacker. "Hopefully we can build off of them."
Dartmouth had multiple big-impact players, with three goals coming from Brad Heritage '06, and with Grinnell and Bonacci having five and six-point afternoons, respectively. Lucas Robertson '04, Brandon Wright '05 and Wilson Handler '07 all added assists, while senior captain and defenseman Pat Keeley buried his first collegiate goal.
Alec Hufnagel '06 said that though Dartmouth lacrosse's greatest challenges are still to come, the team is still a force to be reckoned with.
"It was great to get the season underway with two big wins," he said. "While we still have some work to do before entering the heart of our schedule, we definitely showed how dominant we are capable of being."
The next game for men lacrosse is Sat., March 19, when they will hope to maintain their winning streak at home against Sacred Heart. For spring break, the team will be headed to Boca Raton, Fla., to play the University of Maryland.
Though the season is just getting started for the Big Green, the future looks bright.
Captain Adam White '05 commented, "It was a good first step, but we're not satisfied with where we are as a team yet. This weekend was kind of like the first season of Seinfeld when nobody was really watching and it wasn't that funny, but if you go back, you can kind of tell that they were on to something. Hopefully, we'll be able to get better like Seinfeld did."
Why not? With a lightning attack, tremendous senior leadership and a colorful mosaic of contributors all in full force, the 2005 season is certain to be a memorable one for Dartmouth lacrosse.
