The Western men’s lacrosse club easily handled the University of Puget Sound 17-8 on Sunday, April 5, at the friendly confines of the Wade King Student Recreation Center Turf Field.
The win was Western’s second straight following a 23-7 victory over Saint Mary’s College on Wednesday, April 1.
Western opened up a 4-0 lead early in the first period and held a lead for the entire game. After the first period, Western led 8-3 and did not allow a goal the rest of the first half.
“We’re on the road to repeat,” head coach Adam Lent said. “This was a must win game, and the guys knew that. We just had to show up and play just like any other game.”
Western’s defense held strong in the second half. After three periods of play, they led 14-7.
“We were playing with a rookie goalie today, so we really made sure to minimize shots and play to his strengths,” Lent said.
That rookie goalie was freshman Alyis Clark, who allowed only three goals in the first half and eight on the day in a stellar debut. Clark is listed on the Western men’s club lacrosse team website as a midfielder.
Freshman defender Garrett Goshorn attributed the early offensive explosion to the high intensity that Western brought from the start.
“We came together as brothers,” Goshorn said. “We had a new goalie in there today and tried to protect him and keep our house secure.”
When asked how he thought Clark did in his debut behind the net, Goshorn offered one word: “Awesome.”
The Vikings now stand 6-3 in the season and 2-0 in the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League division.
Western has been dominant in every phase of their game this season. They have scored 15.1 goals per game, good for first in the PNCLL North. Their defense is just as formidable, allowing a stingy 7.3 goals per game. That is also the top mark in their conference.
Western’s next game on their path to a second consecutive PNCLL title is an away bout with Central Washington University in Ellensburg on Saturday, April 12.
The Central Wildcats are trudging through a tough season with a 1-7 record. They lost seven straight before tallying their first win of the season against a winless Pacific Lutheran University Lutes.
