On Monday, April 14, the Kaneland varsity lacrosse team hosted the Burlington Central Rockets. It was a chilly and very windy day at Kaneland. The sun was just trying to peek out from the clouds at game time.
With the game scheduled for 5:00, assistant coach Daniel Ferrel scheduled for his team to be there by 3:30 to scout their opponents. At 4:45, they got dressed in uniforms and went to the field to warm up.
Going into the game, it was clear to the players and coaches that it would be close. . Kaneland had played well against teams that were less skilled or well coached, however the teams that were a little better gave them a little trouble.
“We are fully capable of beating these types of teams,” Ferrel said before the game. “Play your game and play smart, and we should have no problems.”
Kaneland won the faceoff and controlled the game in the first quarter. Kaneland got ahead quickly 6-2, with multiple goals from seniors Vinny McDonald and Garrett Wills.
Tensions were rising throughout the game, with lots of arguing and big hits being thrown around.
“This game can be compared a lot like hockey and football,” senior Vince Kruse said. “It’s very aggressive and can be an emotional game.”
With nine minutes left in the second quarter, the Rockets went on a run. At halftime, when the score was tied 7-7, Ferrel told the team, “We can’t get complacent. We need to keep our foot on the gas and continue playing our game.”
Going into the second half, Ferrel shifted some personnel and made some schematic changes to the offense and defense. However, whatever was changed, Burlington saw it coming. The Rockets dominated the third quarter and only allowed one Kaneland goal. With Burlington leading 11-7 in the third quarter, Kaneland made a big defensive stand and threw the ball forward to McDonald, who weaved through defenders to fire a shot into the net. The rest of the third quarter went back and forth with chances for both teams but no one converting. The score at the end of the third quarter was 11-8 Rockets.
The fourth quarter was more of the same for the Knights, with little offense and a lot of running and chasing the ball. Burlington added another goal to make it 12-8, however McDonald struck right back with his fourth goal of the match. In the end, the Knights fell 14-9 to the Rockets.
“Going into the game, we knew it was going to be tough,” Ferrel said. “Both coaches used to coach college teams, so it was going to be tight. We let the game get away from us in the middle of the second quarter, but at least we know we can play with these types of guys.”
Kaneland has a very busy schedule coming up these next few weeks. They have another game on Wednesday, April 16, at Kaneland, and another road game on Thursday, April 17 at St. Charles North. While it will be a tough stretch for the Knights, they will continue to work hard and embrace the challenges.
