The Red Devil men’s lacrosse team was back in action with two games last week, facing Gettysburg on Wednesday, April 12 and Swarthmore on Saturday, April 15. Gettysburg edged the Red Devils in a hard fought game ending in an 11-10 win for the Bullets. Dickinson was down 9-3 at the half but came out storming after the break, eventually tying the game up at 10-10 with less than four minutes to play. The game came down to the wire as the Bullets scored with only 1:32 left on the clock to steal the game.

On Saturday Dickinson bounced back with a solid 17-6 win against Swarthmore College, who had beaten Gettysburg the weekend before. The Centennial Conference is known for its intense competition and the Red Devils are figuring out how important it is to bring their best each and every game. Brodie Phillips ’19 commented, “No matter what team we play in conference, it will be a dog fight. The most important way to approach a conference game is to treat it like it’s your last and stay in it for all four quarters.”

It was apparent that Dickinson was not playing up to its potential in the first half against Gettysburg. The Bullets controlled the possession and in turn the scoring in the first half.

However, at halftime the Red Devils made adjustments and brought an intensity to the game that was not seen in the first half. The key difference in the second half against Gettysburg was possession. The Red Devils found much more success in the ground ball battle. Nate Usich ’19 described what changed: “We reverted back to our fundamentals, we saw the ball and went and got it, we didn’t overthink it.”

Austin Hurdle ’19 won eight of his thirteen face-offs with most of his wins coming in the second half. While the second half performance showed the Red Devils how well they could play when they brought intensity and hustle, their shortcomings against Gettysburg served as a reminder that not a second on the field can be taken for granted and winning a game in the Centennial Conference requires a team to play their best for the full game. The team did not let the loss against Gettysburg negatively impact their play against Swarthmore. They learned from their mistakes against the Bullets and got right back to work to prepare for their next competition.

Dickinson’s win against Swarthmore on Saturday was a special one in many ways. They dominated Swarthmore in every facet of the game, winning 17-6. The energy and relentless play the Red Devils brought from the start was much different than the Gettysburg game and this was represented in the way the team played. The men’s team scored the first six goals of the game and finished with the same intensity with which they started.

Saturday was also Senior Day and the nine seniors in the 2017 class were honored for their contributions to theprogram, off and on the field. Michael Allen ’17 contributed three assists, Mike Cherry ’17 added a goal, and Anton Grabis ’17 displayed great heart after coming back from a first half injury, controlling three ground balls and causing two turnovers.

Allen reflected on senior day, “Senior day was an awesome experience, and as much as it was a special day for myself and other classmates, it was a special day for the whole team. Everyone contributed and it was a great day for the Red Devils.” The team takes on Muhlenberg this Saturday, April 22 and will face Franklin and Marshall at home before traveling to Ursinus for their final regular season contest.