It’s been a tough year for Hamilton’s men’s lacrosse team. After a blowout loss to ninth-ranked Tufts University to start the season, the Continentals rebounded in their next game. Hamilton faced off against Utica College on Withiam Field. The Continentals dominated all aspects of the game en-route to an 18–5 victory. Chad Morse ’19 and Chris Conley ’20 led the team with four goals each. Three players tied for the lead with two assists each and Sam Knollmeyer ’20 tallied three saves.
The Continentals lost their next game against Keene State by two goals and then lost the next, against Bowdoin College, by one. The following week, Hamilton fought hard, but lost by two goals to Nazareth College. The team has continued to be resilient and was prepared for two NESCAC games last week.
On Wednesday April 4th Hamilton hosted the Middlebury Panthers. Conley ’20 scored the first goal of the game. The Panthers didn’t let the Continentals gain any momentum, as they got off to a fast start, scoring five goals in the first quarter. Matt Saltzman ’18 scored the first two goals of his career as a Continental. Clay McCollum ’19 also tallied two goals. Morse ’19 had one goal and this was his tenth straight game with at least one point. After an even second quarter, with each team scoring three goals, the score was 8–4 in favor of the Panthers. Neither team was able to score in the third quarter. Kyle Gately ’20 was in goal for the Continentals nand had eight saves. The teams combined for six goals in the fourth quarter. Four of the six were in favor of Middlebury and they won with the final score 12 to six.
This past Saturday, the Continentals traveled to Hartford, CT to face off against the Trinity College Bantams. Hamilton was ready from the opening whistle and jumped out to a four goal lead in the first ten minutes. The Bantams scored a goal late in the quarter and dominated the second quarter, scoring four unanswered goals. The Bantams had the lead, 5–4 at the half. Hamilton tied the game at five a piece when Zach Larsen ’19 scored the first goal of the second half. Larsen ’19 also contributed to the effort with three assists. Henry Hunt ’20 then scored one of his career high three goals to give the Continentals the lead. Unfortunately, Trinity rebounded by scoring four straight goals to take a nine to six lead as the third quarter game to a close. Henry Hill ’19 scored his second goal of the day to start the fourth and pulled the Continentals to only two goals down. Again the Bantams responded by going on a run, this time scoring five unanswered goals. The Continentals scored two goals late, but it wasn’t enough. The Bantams won with a final score of 14 to nine. Gately ’20 had a very strong day in goal with 17 saves. Morse ’19 put in two goals, while McCollum ’19 scored one. Conley ’20, Brock Bowers ’20, and Jack Warren ’19 all pitched in one assist.
This weekend, Hamilton’s men’s lacrosse team will be on the road as they travel to New London, CT where they will face off against Connecticut College. After that game, the Continentals will close their season out with two home games. The first, a conference game, against Wesleyan University on Saturday, April 21. The Continentals final game of the year is on Tuesday, April 24 against Hartwick College.
With the loss Tuesday to Williams, Hamilton was eliminated from playoff contention; however, with many key contributors returning next season, an upturn is likely for Hamilton men’s lacrosse. The NESCAC is one of the best conferences in Division III lacrosse, and success does no come overnight. For the Continentals to be competitive in coming years, they must consistently work hard and continue to recruit imporving talent. Whether they can do that remains to be seen.
