Following a close 10-9 loss versus a good Timberlane High School team on May 4th, the Oyster River boys lacrosse team was determined to bounce back in a rematch on May 6th.
Unfortunately, they came up short again, dropping the game 9-2 to the Owls. After a defensive first half, Timberlane exploded for 6 goals in the second half, 4 of which were scored in the 4th quarter. The Bobcats were unable to catch up. The loss dropped their record to 3-6 on the season, with 7 games remaining before playoffs. Similar to the fall and winter seasons, the tournament will be open, meaning every team makes the playoffs.
A notable difference in the game was the absence of Oyster River’s leading scorer and St. Anselm lacrosse commit Hayden Marshall (‘21). Instead, they had to rely on others to produce offense. The two goals in the game were scored by Gabe Goodwin (‘22) and Sam Guilmette (‘23), which were both scored in the third quarter.
Being the second game in a row against Timberlane, the Bobcats knew what to expect. However, after the first game, they decided not to change much from their gameplan. “We didn’t really change anything even though we lost [the first game]. The strategy was good, but the execution was poor in both games,” said midfielder Zach Serrano.
During the first quarter, Oyster River goalkeeper Finn Mason (‘23) stood strong, denying a few close chances, until Eric George (‘22) of Timberlane scored the game’s first goal with a shot from far out with 2:39 left to play in the quarter. Mason would finish with 12 saves. It would be the only goal in the quarter. In the second quarter, Timberlane goals from Nate Vibber (‘21) and Cam Noyes (‘21) came within 1:03 of each other, putting the Owls up 3-0 at the half.
Following halftime, Timberlane’s Ethan Gerry (‘22) made it a 4-0 game less than two minutes into the third quarter. However, the Bobcats bounced back just a couple minutes later with a goal from Goodwin on an in-tight shot. The momentum wouldn’t last, as George scored his second of the day to increase the Timberlane lead to 5-1. The Bobcats would score once more in the quarter, with a shot from Guilmette.
During the 4th quarter, unanswered Timberlane goals from Noyes, George, Vibber, and Ryan Freeman (‘21) sealed the game for the Owls. From start to finish, Oyster River wasn’t playing their best game and it showed on the scoresheet. “It was an off-day as a whole for the team,” said Goodwin.
Captain Ethan Todd (‘21) agreed it was not the team’s best performance. “We weren’t focused pregame. Going into it there were a lot of lights and cameras around us and I don’t think we had the right mental state to compete.”
Serrano added, “we just couldn’t take care of the ball. We dropped passes and didn’t have good decision making. All around it was just a poor effort and not a reflection of what this team is capable of.”
On the flip side, there were a few positives to take out of the game. “We executed on some of the stuff we worked on in practice the day before, specifically moving the ball quicker. In transition we moved the ball pretty quick. We just weren’t focused and made a lot of mistakes,” said Todd. Ball movement was certainly an improvement from the game prior.
Goodwin agreed, adding, “Passing was much better, we just had a tough time adjusting to their rough style of defense. They pressed out on us a lot and we had a hard time adjusting.”
The Bobcats next game is senior night on 5/18 against Manchester Memorial at 5:00pm at home.