Boys Lacrosse Back To .500 After Pair Of Wins

The Whaler boys lacrosse team woke up this morning back at .500 after beating the Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins 18-4 on Monday and the Barnstable Red Hawks 12-4 on Tuesday. Nantucket is now 6-6 this season. Head coach Sam Aloisi said his team played at a very good pace, especially against Barnstable, and has told his players that is the tempo they will need to play at against tougher teams later on in the season.

“They played really well as a team and at a quick pace,” Aloisi said. “Those easy ones are a mental challenge where the kids can get cocky. They know what they are up against. We can’t lie to them so we will say ‘look guys we know you should walk all over these guys’ and it is a hard thing for them to come right out full speed. It is a good test in that regard and great to get some kids in there who maybe don’t get as much playing time.”

Some notable performances in the Dennis-Yarmouth game include senior attacker Cosmo Tedeschi, who had a nine point day with four goals and five assists. He added another three goals on Tuesday.

Sophomore attacker Cole Chambers had six goals and four assists combined in these two games.

But to Aloisi there are two players he looks at on his team through the first 12 games that continue to impress him. Senior midfielder Cole Evens and senior goalie George Boucher.

“I think Cole and George are so key to our success and they have been so valuable,” Aloisi said. “Cole, I mean, I think he has exceeded our expectations and is just continuing to get better. He has turned faceoffs into a strength. It is huge for us because if we get the ball on these draws, the other team can’t score.”

“Then George has just been amazing. That game last week on Saturday (against Pembroke) he was spectacular and just made some amazing saves. He has been consistent for us and is a big part of this team.”

Freshman Sujal Mali also got some action this week in net. Aloisi said it was good to see Sujal play with the varsity group in front of him and will be valuable experience as he continues to develop.

Faceoffs were an issue all of last season for Nantucket, but as Aloisi mentioned, Evens has turned that area of the game into a strength and it shows in the numbers when analyzed side by side.

The Whalers scored 51 goals in 11 games last year. The most they scored in a single game was nine against Nauset in the second game of the season.

This season has been a completely different story. Nantucket has 111 goals in 12 games. They have scored 10 or more goals five times.

The uptick in offensive possessions has also helped the defense. The Whalers allowed 98 goals in 11 games last year and had six games where they let in 10 or more goals. This season, Nantucket has allowed 83 goals in 12 games and just four games where they let in 10 or more goals.

Nantucket is benefitting from a strong schedule in the current MIAA state tournament bracket, slotting in just outside the top 10. The team is in a good position as they enter the second half of their season and will look to build on this momentum when they welcome the Sandwich Blue Knights, who are arguably the best team in Div. 4 to the island on Thursday for a 4 p.m. game.