Jennifer Hoffer – Sports Editor
The men’s lacrosse team ended their season this weekend with a win and and an overall record of 3-8.
For senior, Patrick Cooney, he said he couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the season than with a win over the CSCU Blue Devils, 12-6.
The Owls have struggled this season, but the reason for the win against Central Connecticut State University was not committing any penalties.
“That played a key role in the win,” Cooney said. “The reason I feel we were so successful is that it was the senior classes last game and we just didn’t want to lose.”
Cooney said that multiple factors contributed to the game ending in a win for the team, but really it was the teamwork and working hard the entire game.
“Players were really seeing the ball, catching it and scoring,” Cooney said.
Cooney was put in the game in the second half with the Owls leading at the time 7-4.
“At the start of the third quarter I thought to myself that this was my last college lacrosse game of my career and that I need to play my best,” Cooney said. “I ended the third with a shutout, which was a huge confidence booster for both the team and myself.”
Christopher Serra, Kevin Schacht, and William Ring has a combined six goals, scoring two goals each.
Peter Tiemann and William Wood both had a goal each. Colman Dobb lead the team in goals scoring four in the game
Entering the fourth quarter, Cooney had not allowed a goal until about three minutes into the quarter.
“It was a bad goal I let by,” Cooney said. “We had a break down in communication on who was guarding who and we left a guy open and the shot skidded past my foot and in. I let in my second and last goat halfway into the quarter. The offense was able to break through and took a shot on me at point blank range.”
But Cooney said he knew the guys had the game in the bag with a minute left to go in the game.
“I knew at that time we pretty much sealed up the win,” Cooney said. “It was a great way for all of the seniors to finish off their college careers.”
Throughout his whole career being an Owl, Cooney said that the game he will always remember would be this year’s senior night game on the turf against Framingham. As far as remembering a game in his entire career of lacrosse he said it would be his freshman year against the Coast Guard Academy.
“It was my favorite because that was my first win in college during a regular season game,” Cooney said. “As for a career game it would half to be my freshman year against the Coast Guard Academy. We lost that game by a huge deficit, but the reason why it was my favorite game was because it was my first game as a goalie and after that game I knew right then and there that goaltending was my calling in lacrosse.”
Cooney said he has a lot to be thankful for being able to play with a total of 68 teammates over the span of his four-year career.
“I consider them part of my family,” Cooney said. “I’m really just going to miss seeing these guys on a daily basis. I’m also going to miss our road trips.”
Cooney said he wouldn’t have been so successful over the past few years without his number one supporters.
“My parents Chuck and Karen and my girlfriend Courtney have always been there for me through the ups and downs of my career,” Cooney said. “They are always there to support me whether I’m playing or on the sidelines.”
Being part of Southern’s lacrosse team has not only made Cooney a better athlete, but he said being part of a team has made him a better person.
“During my time on the team I learned a lot as an athlete, I learned the values of hard work and teamwork,” Cooney said. “My years on this team helped me grow as a person by learning to be responsible and how to work with others on a professional level. I think what I have learned about myself is that I really like to work hard and see the people around me and myself succeed.”
The team has struggled over the years, but Cooney said he sees a lot of potential in the next few years to come, and said that the team has definitely improved this year.
“A lot of it has to do with communication, which has been very good,” Cooney said.
In hopes of getting better over the years, Cooney said that the team could work on multiple factors to improve their game overall and get more wins.
“The players can work on a lot of individual stuff that in the end is very big in the game,” Cooney said. “A lot of the players need to work on scooping up ground balls, as well as working on using their weak hand. A few a of the players need to work on their on field awareness.”
Cooney said that in the next one to two seasons he could see this team being a contender in the PCLL playoffs.
“In the next 3-4 years I can definitely see them making it past at least the first found of the National tournament,” Cooney said.
As for next year, Cooney said he plans on graduating.
“I will also be looking into a coaching job at Bridgewater State College coaching their club team,” Cooney said. “If I do end up of coaching there it would feel kind of weird coaching against my old team though, but that’s still a few years off.”
