Postscript from Detroit at Mount St. Mary's
Mount St. Mary’s may have banished some demons by capturing the team’s first win of the season with a 12-8 decision against visiting Detroit Wednesday afternoon at Waldron Family Stadium in Emmittsburg.
Perhaps just as significant is the momentum the Mountaineers (1-2) may have gained as they prepare to meet Jacksonville on Sunday.
Sophomore attackman Andrew Scalley conceded that although the team had been in a similar 0-2 hole last year, the pressure was rising to break the seal.
“We definitely came in, feeling like we had a monkey on our backs,” said Scalley, who leads the offense in goals (seven), assists (three) and points (10). “We were in the same situation last year, and so it definitely feels good to get the win. We got a lot of pressure from our coaches, but we came out and had a good week of practice, something we hadn’t been doing prior to the other games that we played this year. So coming out and getting the win really means a lot for us.”
Sunday’s opponent could present problems for Mount St. Mary’s. The Dolphins are 2-2 and only lost to No. 15 Georgetown by three on Feb. 20.
And then there’s the little matter of Jacksonville tagging the Mountaineers with a 14-7 setback that continues to resonate with the players.
“Jacksonville is a good team,” junior attackman Brett Schmidt said. “Last year, we lost to them, which is pretty bad. We’re ready for them.”
Other notes:
*One issue Mount St. Mary’s must address is the number of turnovers committed in the win against the Titans. The Mountaineers turned the ball over 26 times compared to Detroit’s 18, and some of them seemed to occur as the defense transitioned to offense. (The team was 10-of-15 on clears.) “It’s unacceptable,” coach Tom Gravante said of the team’s carelessness with the ball. “After getting the ball on a Detroit turnover and then turning it right back over, you’ve got to cash in on that. We really have to work on the personalities of some of these kids.”
*Gravante wouldn’t say whether he planned to revamp the starting lineup again, but Scalley said continuity shouldn’t be an issue because many players get plenty of reps in practice to develop a chemistry with their teammates. “It was something that was definitely on our minds, but we’ve played together as a whole in practice every day,” Scalley said. “As soon as one person starts clicking, it flows into the entire offense, and you could see that when we would go on our little runs. One person would make a play and then the team would rally.”
*After Scalley and senior goalkeeper T.C. DiBartolo, the team’s next most important player might be senior faceoff specialist Ben Trapp. The Timonium native and Dulaney graduate won 18-of-22 faceoffs on Wednesday and collected a game-high seven ground balls. “We asked that young man to dominate, and he did,” Gravante said. “He was 18-for-22, and I think he would have been better than that if he had just picked up the ball by himself. … That’s what we’re going to need from him on Sunday.” Trapp, who has won 42-of-63 faceoffs for a 66.7 percentage, could face a test in Jacksonville freshman William Vogt, who has won 38-of-65 draws for a 58.5 percentage.
