The beauty of lacrosse lies in finesse. The intricate game has players weaving in and out, playing with symphonic synchronization. The ball zips from net to net, always in constant motion.
In the Rock Bridge lacrosse team’s 9-6 loss to St. John Vianney on Sunday at Cosmopolitan Park, the sport looked a little less orchestrated.
Penalties and fouls interrupted the game more than goals did. Hardly a minute passed without an infraction.
Rock Bridge had eight penalties and St. John Vianney (6-8) had 14. And those were just the ones that put a player in the penalty box. While play was sloppy, there were also many chances for points.
Because of the penalties, Rock Bridge had a man advantage for 13 minutes and 30 seconds of the game. Vianney played a man up for 6:30. Neither side could take advantage, though.
“It was bad ball control,” Rock Bridge coach Jared Diamond said. “The opportunities were there for both of us, but we just did not take them.”
Senior Jimmy Dianics blamed Rock Bridge’s inability to score on its opponent’s experience.
“The teams are getting better as the season goes on, so our man-up offense is not as effective as it was earlier,” Dianics said.
An injury to offensive leader Jake Tillitt has hurt Rock Bridge. He tore his ACL in practice about a month ago, and his presence has been missed. Different junior varsity players have filled in, but the lack of experience has hindered theBruins.
“Not having Jake has really hurt the team,” Dianics said.
Rock Bridge (4-5) has five more games until the postseason starts, unless it makes up Saturday’s rained-out match against St. Thomas Aquinas. A win in the make-up game would effectively erase their loss Sunday, but to reach the playoffs, Rock Bridge still must win the rest of its conference games.
“We have to win out on our conference games,” Diamond said. “Basically, that means Hickman.”
Rock Bridge next plays against Eureka on Friday at Stankowski Field. The pivotal showdown with Hickman takes place May 12 at Cosmopolitan Park.