Here We Go Again

Spring, it seems, has finally sprung, and finally this most frustrating of men's lacrosse seasons can get its feet off the ground. After an unwanted two-week sabbatical, Harvard's men's lacrosse travels to New Haven today to meet Yale, returning tomorrow to host Delaware.

Though last week's show disrupted the carefully laid plans of every athletic team on campus, it was especially irritating for the last men, coming at a time when a young and an cohesive squad had just begun to find its feet.

Following opening losses to Johns Hopkins and Cornell it worked back to .500 with wins over Boston College and Pennsylvania. Mike Davis scored three goals against B.C. and freshman Steve Bartenfelder got five against Penn as the offense began to produce. Goalie Tim Pendergast held the Quakers to only five goals--a frugal one in the second half--as the defense showed signs of gelling. Midfielders, began to charge up and down the field like able midfielders do, scooping up ground balls and wielding their sticks like war staffs.

Even if B.C. and Penn aren't the greatest lacrosse teams you'll ever see, things were starting to come together. "We were really ready to start going on a tear," coach Bob Scalise remarked.

But the winter came and snow fell to hush everything that had been clicking. Delaware cancelled a week ago today and New Hampshire curiously pulled out of its commitment Wednesday. Disappointed in their inactivity, the team retreated to Briggs Cage.

Contrary to popular opinion, two weeks of unrequested and undesired practice does not a perfect team make. There is a certain level of diminishing returns to practice, especially for a group hungry for game experience and antsy to compete.

"The intensity in practice has been good, but we just don't know how this will affect us," said Scalise from his office yesterday. "It could be good, it could be bad. But you have to roll with the punches."

While they were busy rolling, at least the team didn't suffer through two weeks of redundant drills racked with self-doubts about their own ability. No matter how distant, the two outings before winter's last(?) gasp were encouraging. There's little reason the squad can't pick up where it left off, especially considering the psychological boost in Brendan Meagher's return.

Meagher, the Crimson's star-crossed midfield stalwart, will see action for the first time in over a year this weekend as shooter in the team's power play. The knee cartilage of the former All-American has healed enough that he participates in non-contact and one-on-one drills at practice, though not enough to warrant excessive running or to risk taking an aggressive hit.

"We want to make sure Brendan's knee is really alright before we get him completely involved," said Scalise. "I think it's going to be okay, but we're bringing him around slowly, more and more as time goes on."

Thankfully for the lacrosse team, time is indeed finally going on.