The Sacred Heart University (SHU) men’s D1 lacrosse team has started the season out strong, jumping to a 6-2 record on the year.
The team battled Siena on March 15 at home in a tight battle. Siena burst onto the scene early, taking a commanding 6-1 lead, but SHU kept fighting. In a game that went to overtime, SHU was able to overcome the early deficit and find the win at home.
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“Watching the lacrosse team coming back from being down 6-1 against Siena in overtime was insane to watch,” said senior Jason Pilla. “I was working the broadcast for that game and a few of us in the control room were talking about SHU coming back and winning the game. All of a sudden the game went into overtime, and we were making sure we were all still doing our job to make sure the broadcast was running smoothly.”
SHU showed their team perseverance against Siena.
“I think that was a testament to our guys and making small mental adjustments in the game on their own,” said Head Coach Jonathan Basti. “All the work that we put in during the week gives them confidence and the idea that no matter what just happened, the next opportunity is what matters. We were down 6-1, good, what’s next. If we can be consistent about continuously moving forward and learning for our experiences, we will ultimately be successful.”
Senior Jake Ward played a pivotal role in their comeback win against Siena. Ward leads the team with 26 points on the year so far.
“The best thing about Jake Ward is his leadership and toughness,” said Basti. “No matter how he’s doing, as far as goals and assists, you can always expect and count on him to play as hard as he possibly can. He’s an ultimate teammate and does everything he can to help the guy next to him.”
Graduate student Alex Pazienza has also played a huge role in the team’s success. In the game against Siena, Pazienza became the all-time leader in saves at SHU.
“He’s had a great career, but it all comes from hard work and effort, “ said Basti. “He loves playing goalie. He works on improving his overall game consistently and is always willing to see shots. The work he has done with coach Chris Doctor and the other goalies has helped him improve on the simple fundamentals of his game.”
On March 22, SHU took the field in a road matchup with Merrimack, where they won 13-8. Junior Will Moulton scored a career high five goals, and Pazienza added 13 saves to his season total.
“Goalie is probably one of the hardest things to do – staying sharp throughout the entire game,” said Basti.
SHU has been able to string together wins and jump to a good record out of the gate.
“Even when we dig ourselves in a bit of a hole, we are always ready to make the next play and learn from our mistakes, “ said Pazienza. “As a team, we prepare to be ready for any scenario. A big part of our team is next play mentality and no matter what the score is, keep playing fast and confident.”
SHU will play next today against Iona at 12:00 p.m. in New Rochelle, N.Y.
Sacred Heart Athletics contributed to this article.
