Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief
The stands were filled with the cheers and howls of Wolves and fans alike, as the men made their way to the field for the last home game of the season. For some, it would be the last time they ever play on the home-turf. For others, it would be the last opportunity to show their Western fans the potential that Men’s Lacrosse has for years to come. Playing against rivals Southern Oregon University, the Wolves had a tough fight cut out for them on April 20.
However, before the game could begin, there were four seniors to be celebrated. Seniors Bryce Hinkle, Zack Rodgers, Andrew Barnett and Alex Eidler were presented with framed photos of them playing, a memento of the dedication put forth and memories made while taking to the field as a Wolf.
Once the gifts were given, it was time to get down to business.
“I was personally nervous up until the game actually started,” stated senior Bryce Hinkle. “The energy seemed a little less focused but more energetic than usual.” But once the game actually began, the momentum didn’t cease until the game came to a close.
Western would dodge down the field and score, and Southern would retaliate in the same manner. For the first quarter, this type of play continued, until Western found itself in a comfortable lead. Always sitting above Southern by at least a point, the Wolves wouldn’t let the Raiders’s quick-scoring get the best of them.
At half, Western was ready to make an adjustment to ensure the Raiders couldn’t come out on top. They decided to put their defenseman Justin Morales on Southern’s #00, and according to Hinkle, “he essentially shut down their best goal-scorer.”
From then on, Western was able to extend their lead to an even more comfortable margin, sitting a firm three-points above the Raiders throughout most of the third quarter, stretching into the fourth. It was a defensive stalemate, with both keepers putting a stop to any potential score. However, it wasn’t until the final minutes that the Wolves were able to find the back of the net, and extend their lead to 5, closing the game 18-13, Western.
“That game meant a lot to me, especially with it being the last game with some of my best friends who I would have never met otherwise,” said Hinkle. “The future of WOU LAX looks pretty good … this team has had the best chemistry of any team that I’ve been on here and I don’t see that changing in the future.”
The Wolves play again on Friday, April 26 at 4 p.m. against Gonzaga University in the first game of the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League playoffs. The last time Wolves played against Gonzaga was 2016, where Western lost 21-10 in the second round of the PNCLL playoffs.
Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu
Photo by Caity Healy
