Oak Hill’s Gabe Bergeron (5) defends against Mt. Blue’s Marshall Doyon (20) in a field hockey game in Wales on Tuesday.
WALES — The Mt. Blue boys’ lacrosse team’s 1-6 record won’t tell you that the Cougars are a stubborn bunch who don’t know when to quit — even when the chips are down.
Of course, the Oak Hill Raiders are equally pigheaded and uncompromising. And when two iron-willed teams like the Cougars and Raiders take the field, there will be aggressive play and endless oneupmanship. On this occasion, the Raiders had the final say with a 10-6 victory on a rare warm and sunny Tuesday afternoon.
“They (Cougars) didn’t hold back, and for the first 12 mintues of game, we struggled,” Oak Hill coach Joe Hinkley said. “It was (an) OK (performance). Definitely could improved on a lot more things. Back to basics of passing and catching the ball. Struggling with that.
“We did get some good quality shots. The kids played well, played hard, on to the next one.”
For most of the first quarter, the Cougars frustrated the Raiders, who eventually caught on, with teams playing to a 2-2 tie. Tyler Thorne and Marshall Doyon provided the Cougars with the first-quarter goals. Mt. Blue Eli Yeaton scored the lone goal in the second quarter.
“I asked the guys to come out with a lot of energy, a lot hustle, have positive attitude, come together as one. We just lost a couple of guys for the season,” Mt. Blue coach Kevin Averill said. “We didn’t have three starters out there so to come out here and throw some extra guys out there, haven’t played any varsity, stepped up…proud of a lot guys who haven’t played any varsity this year.
As far as hustle and attitude, these guys really picked it up.”
But the Raiders weren’t about give up any of their turf, no matter how obstinate the Cougars were in the first quarter. Marcus Bailey and Steve Gilbert scored to tie the game for Oak Hill in the first quarter.
Oak Hill snapped out of it in the second quarter and slipped in three goals thanks to pair of back-to-back goals by Lee Mower and Gilbert’s second first-half goal. Noah Moring picked up an assist along the way. At this point, the Raiders were feeling pretty good about themselves with a 5-3 lead.
In the second half, the Raiders got stronger and built an 8-5 lead.
The Cougars scored three more goals in the second half, with Jack Murray, Evan Stone and Smith doing the honors. Quinn Giustra picked up an assist on Stone’s goal.
Oak Hill’s offensive punch came from Steven Gilbert, who scored his third goal for the hat trick, Bailey dropped in his second and Tanner Wright, Gabe Bergeron and Bailey Drouin each added a goal.
Raiders goalie Nathan Marcotte made 12 and his opposite, Mt. Blue goalie Brody Looney made eight. Oak Hill outshot Mt. Blue, 26-20.
Mt. Blue coach Kevin Averill watches the action as Quinn Giustra (36) stands by in a field hockey game in Wales on Tuesday.Mt. Blue’s Sam Smith (28) takes a shot on net after being surrounded by Oak Hill’s Bailey Drouin (21) and goalie Nathan Marcotte (17) in a field hockey game in Wales on Tuesday.Mt. Blue’s Sam Smith (28) takes a shot on net after being surrounded Oak Hill’s Bailey Drouin (21) and goalie Nathan Marcotte (17) in a field hockey game in Wales on Tuesday.
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