The UConn club men’s lacrosse team got back into action this weekend in New York for two divisional contests that were both must-wins versus Buffalo and Syracuse. The Huskies were on a three-game losing streak following matches with Liberty, Georgia Tech and Tennessee, where they couldn’t control the time of possession and didn’t get clean looks at the net. Following the loss to Liberty on March 13, the Huskies had a long break until this weekend, so they were well rested.
In the first quarter of game one at Buffalo, UConn got off to a great start, putting in three goals early. However, Buffalo countered with one shot by Connecticut goalie Harrison Slade. Slade stayed strong in the second and didn’t allow a goal. Buffalo goalie Rylan Seager matched this as he and the Buffalo defense held the Huskies scoreless in the second, making the score 3-1 for UConn going into the break.
The third quarter started to ramp up as both sides started to get the ball rolling on offense. Buffalo got a goal as they put more pressure on the Huskies. The Huskies responded by matching that and more, putting up three goals in the frame to take a 6-2 on the road. In the fourth, the Connecticut offense exploded as they poured out six goals to put this one out of reach. Buffalo added another of their own, but it was not enough as the Huskies cruised to a 12-3 win, picking up a key divisional win.
The Huskies were led by Ryan Whaley, who accumulated seven points with three goals and four assists. Jake Saldutti and Colin Grevelding both had two goals in the win. In net, Slade played well as he had 11 saves on 14 shots to keep Buffalo at bay. For Buffalo, Tommy Campbell led the way with 2 points on 5 shots.
In game number two, the Huskies traveled to Syracuse where they sought to keep the momentum going following the win at Buffalo. The Huskies got going right where they left off as they rattled five goals home in the first quarter to assert their dominance. Syracuse in the second got one goal, cutting the deficit to four. However, the Huskies responded by putting up two of their own to close out the half.
In the second half, the game followed the same trend as the first with the Huskies dominating. Combined in quarters three and four, the visitors put up seven goals to put their total to 14 on the game and rolled to a convincing win, marking a successful road trip. Syracuse scored one more in the third, but it didn’t matter. The final in this one was 14-2 marking a big Connecticut victory.
UConn was again led by Whaley, who showcased his talents with four goals and an assist. Saldutti had another big game as he had three goals on Syracuse goalie Collin Smith. Jack Mclnerney had three goals and five assists for eight total points. Slade had nine saves on eleven shots to lead the Huskies to victory.
Postgame, sophomore Mason Smutney said that the fellas had a “Huge weekend, nice to be back in the win column. We had about six or seven guys with a point this weekend which was great to see. We’re looking to keep this momentum moving into this coming weekend as we gear up for BC.”
The Huskies went 2-0 for the weekend and are now 3-3 on the season as they will look to Boston College next on April 12 at BC. This weekend, the Huskies outscored their opponents 26-5, and they will look to replicate that as they take on the Eagles.