OCEAN CITY – After Saturday’s game, the Ocean City High School boys lacrosse team was still at the top of the American Conference with a 4-0 record, but after the 13-6 loss to Manasquan was at .500 in overall record.
That’s because the team has packed its first 10 games of the season with tough, out-of-conference opponents to get better prepared for the post-season, in addition to its Cape-Atlantic League schedule.
The team has taken some big losses to top-notch opponents, falling 13-1 to Don Bosco Prep, 9-3 to Ridge, 5-4 to Southern and 9-3 to Haddonfield.
On Saturday, the boys fell behind dramatically in the first quarter and were down 6-1 before starting to gain a little more ground. They only scored 1 goal in the second and third quarters, but held Manasquan to 3 in each. Down 12-3 starting the fourth quarter, the Red Raiders were able to outscore Manaquan 3-1 in the final stanza for the 13-6 finish.
Earlier in the season Ocean City was able to knock off non-conference foe Cherokee 9-8, behind goals by Pat Grimley (4), Jack Davis and Nick Volpe (2 each) and one by John Moyer. The boys also beat Absegami 17-2, Mainland 17-7, Egg Harbor Township 15-1 and Vineland 16-0.
Coming up at 5:30 p.m. Thursday is a rematch with Mainland on the turf at Carey Stadium. After three losses in the their first five games the Mustangs have a 5-4 record. The Mustangs should be able to give the Red Raiders more of a match this time around.
As for Ocean City, interviewed after Saturday’s loss to Manasquan, Red Raider players said they are learning in their losses to the out-of-conference teams.
“Playing all these tough teams preps us for what we’re looking for in the playoffs,” Davis said. “The harder teams that you play (now) will help determine how you play in the playoffs.”
Davis helped get the ball rolling against Manasquan and said scoring a goal against the team was “the best feeling ever. Right when you score that first goal it’s the most electrifying thing ever. It starts a momentum and you build off that in the second half.”
Davis said the team didn’t get revved up fast enough against Manasquan.
“We were kind of slow in the first half but I feel our offense picked it up in the second half and our defense picked it up in the second half,” he said. “I still think we have a lot of things to work on.”
Teammate Jon Moyer also sees the value in the difficult schedule.
“It gives us a chance to see what the competition is for the playoffs and gets us ready for the harder teams that are coming up,” Moyer said. Going back and forth with those opponents and then against some of the less experienced teams in the CAL is something the team has to get used to, he added, “but we have to bring the intensity every game we play.”
He agreed with Davis about the team’s start Saturday.
“We definitely played slow in the first half. We needed the intensity, but we figured it out in the second half and that’s how we have to play every game,” he said.
Moyer also agreed the team isn’t where it should be at this point. “We definitely need more work to progress and to sharpen the skills,” he said.
“The value of playing these top-five state teams is for the experience to get better as a team,” teammate Ori Levy-Smith said. “It shows us what we have to do to get better and the next-man-up mentality if someone gets hurt. When it comes to big games in the post-season that’s when we excel and show everyone what we can do.”
Levy-Smith said the Red Raiders did better in the second half then they picked up their intensity and “played faster and played smarter. And we just woke up. The fourth quarter was our best quarter, but we have to pick it up in the first, second and third quarters. From the start of the game to the finish, we just have to play hard, and that’s what we regret.”
He noted four of the team’s losses were at the hands of visiting teams, giving the Red Raiders added incentive to improve.
“Losing on our home field this many times helps us learn what we have to do better as a team,” Levy-Smith said.
Story and photos by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
