Marysville defenseman Brendon Kovinchick (4) stick checks an opposing Panther.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
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In the midst of a beefy scheduling period, the Marysville boys varsity Lacrosse team fell at home against Hillard Darby, 14-2, as the season enters its latter portion.
Coming off two wins against Dublin Scioto and New Concord John Glenn, Marysville looked to keep the good times rolling against the visiting Panthers.
However, a lack of energy on both fronts plagued the Monarchs throughout the contest.
“I think we took a nap tonight,” Monarch coach Zac Engel said. “We weren’t awake at the start of the game and I am not sure we woke up until maybe two or three minutes left in the game.”
The Monarchs fell behind early at the start of the first quarter against a fast-paced Hilliard Darby unit.
In just the initial minutes, the Panthers mounted a 3-0 offensive attack.
Errors played a role in key MHS players earning penalty minutes, which forced them to watch from the sidelines.
“I don’t know if it came from winning a couple games over the weekend or if it’s just game seven of a long stretch,” Engel said. “But we definitely weren’t ready tonight.”
In the last nine days, the Monarchs have had to play a total of five games.
Isaac Tocci notched the team’s first goal in the third quarter as MHS continued to struggle to find its footing against a pressure-filled Panther defense.
Julian Kennedy also scored for Marysville in the fourth quarter, but Darby’s advantage proved to be a steep hill for the Monarchs by that time.
As the minutes ticked down, the Panthers claimed victory, improving its record to 6-5.
The Monarchs took a step back, falling to 3-6.
MHS’ duo of Griffin Ahlstrom and Sean McGee totaled 14 saves — 13 from Ahlstrom and one from McGee.
The Monarchs have a quick turnaround in terms of moving on from the loss, something that might work in their favor from a mental aspect.
“It could be the best thing possible right now because we don’t get to dwell on this one at all,” Engel said.
Marysville was slated to play Buckeye Valley the following day, adding to the already-bloated scheduling.
“This wasn’t a performance worth dwelling on,” Engel said. “We will be right back out and correct it, which is the best thing that could happen in this situation.”
The Monarchs were without a few offensive key players at the start of the game.
However, they hope that once they return, the unit will be back to full strength.
The lineup has also earned valuable minutes, giving them a better idea of who will step in if penalties or injuries faulter the Monarchs’ gameplan.
“We really start to fall when we are missing some key guys,” Engel said.