This past Saturday the Dickinson men’s lacrosse team earned a resounding 25-8 win over Montclair State at Biddle field. The second the Red Devils stepped on their home turf they dominated their opponent in every facet of the game. Captain Dylan Maher ’18 led the way with 11 points but ten other Devils found the back of the net as well. Maher’s nine goals and two assists is tied for third in Dickinson history for goals and points in a game. While the offense certainly did its job, the Red Devils were also able to control the game on the defensive end of the ball. Strong team defense allowed Dickinson to limit scoring opportunities for the Red Hawks and kept the ball in the offense’s hands as much as possible. Long stick Nate Usich ’19 led the way for the defense with six caused turnovers and five ground balls.

The Red Devils went into half-time with a 13-6 lead but Coach Dave Webster ’88’s mid-game adjustments allowed the squad to turn up the heat and run away with a solid lead. Bob Hartwick ’19’s stellar play on the faceoff was a major key in Dickinson’s ability to control the tempo of the game and in turn, the outcome. The faceoff specialist won 16-of-21 faceoffs and scooped up an impressive nine ground balls. While the 25-8 win in front of a home crowd was certainly impressive, the Red Devils have focused their attention on preparing for a challenging stretch of games in the upcoming weeks.

Coach Webster makes sure to prepare a difficult schedule with hopes that it will both challenge the team as well as help the Red Devils reach their ultimate goal of an NCAA championship. “The strength of our schedule is important to protect ourselves from the politics involved in the NCAA tournament selection committee. By playing a very tough out-of-conference schedule, including national powers like Cabrini, Roanoke, Stevenson, and Denison, we show the committee how good of a team we are outside the Centennial Conference.” While the team knows it has to prepare diligently for each opponent, Coach Webster emphasizes the importance of improving as a unit and not worrying or changing due to the team being played. According to Assistant Coach Peter Donley, “We know if we work hard throughout the week and focus on getting the little things right we will be ready to hunt down the teams that come knocking on our door every Saturday.”

This Saturday, March 3, the Red Devils travel to Philadelphia for an out-of-conference rivalry game against the No. 8-ranked Cabrini Cavaliers. Last year, Dickinson got the best of the Cavaliers, beating them 11-9. The Red Devils hope to match last year’s success, Usich reflects on the meaning of this Saturday’s contest against the Cavaliers that, “We are going to bring it against Cabrini. These two programs have great respect for one another grown from a fierce rivalry over the last decade. We always have this one circled on the calendar, and you know the Devils will bring their all to Edith Robb Dixon field this Saturday.” Following this weekends game, No. 17 Roanoke College, a southern lacrosse powerhouse, travels to Biddle Field to take on the No. 13-ranked Red Devils.