Lacrosse Shuts Out Tabor, Cruises to Easy Win to Rebound From Loss

Big Red lacrosse destroyed Tabor on Saturday by an emphatic score of 11-0. Last Wednesday, the team suffered a close 8-11 loss at Brewster, but the boys hit the road during the weekend and came away with a confidence-boosting victory. Currently, their season record stands at 9-4, with only five games left before E/a.Exeter was confident going into the game, as last’s year’s squad put down Tabor, 14-3, en route to a record-setting season. Tabor started the game quickly, winning the ball right off the faceoff, as lower Winston Smith lined up against one of their best players. Despite their quick attack, Tabor’s offense was unable to overcome Exeter’s strong defensive line. Big Red soon gained possession, and the offensive line immediately put Tabor’s defense to the test. After several good plays on attack, Exeter ended the first quarter in the lead, 5-0.“We came out and really were the superior team, though we were having trouble clearing the ball at the beginning of the game,” senior Dan Mini said, adding that despite some strong players in Tabor’s midfield, the defense created plenty of opportunities to move up the field. Senior netminder Colin Delea enjoyed a quietly successful day, saving all six of his opponent’s shots on goal. Tabor’s inability to get shots on net was largely thanks to excellent work from Exeter’s defensive unit, led by senior Christian Ayscue and senior co-captain Chris Keating. Tabor continued to do well on face-offs, taking advantage of what was perhaps their strongest aspect of the game. Despite their edge in that department, Exeter recovered and regained possession almost every time. By the halftime, Big Red was cruising at 7-0.“Defensively, we improved as the game went on and sealed up a good lead to get some of the second string players in the game,” Mini said. With such a comfortable lead, Coach Eric Bergofsky was able to give many of the starters a rest, enabling second line players to get playing time and showcase their talents on the field.After a short break, Exeter returned to the game with added momentum, and immediately, the ball was near Tabor’s net again. By the end of the game, Exeter had scored 4 more goals, and the scoreboard showed a lopsided 11-0.The team’s success was upheld by hard work on the defensive end. For the second half of the game, lower Thomas Stockham relieved Delea in the net, maintaining the shutout with 9 strong saves. “Both Thomas and Colin played exceptionally well in net, hence the shutout,” Heald said. Stockham was awarded the game ball for his quality performance.Leading the offense were senior co-captains Nick Weigel, with three goals and an assist, and Matt Ryan, with two goals. Senior co-captain Forrest Corcoran, senior Aaron Reuben, post-graduate Griffin Cassagne, prep Nick McCall and Heald all had 1 goal each.Exeter’s strength was diminished, however, by the absence of lower Michael Lackey, typically one of the team's most aggressive offenders, due to a recently-sustained concussion.“It was hard not having Lackey,” Mini said, “but Forrest and [upper] Nick duPont did a good job filling that gap.” Overall, the game was a good display of quality play from all of Exeter’s players, and the boys were able to record an important win following a tough loss to Brewster. After seeing their seven-game win streak snapped last week, the boys will look to extend their new unbeaten run at Phelps Stadium on Saturday against NMH.