Furman men's and women's lacrosse opened the 2018 season on the losing end, as the men have an 0-3 record over the first three games and the women sit at 1-2. Part of the rough start can be attributed to a tough out-of-conference schedule and a few bad breaks, especially in the men's 15-14 overtime heartbreaker against powerhouse University of North Carolina.
The men's team started the year against two tough opponents: Vermont and North Carolina, the latter of which is currently ranked number nine in the nation. Against Vermont, the Paladins' main struggle stemmed from an inability to score, taking 24 shots but putting up only six points to Vermont's 12. The second game of the season was far more competitive, with Furman losing by a single goal in overtime to the higher seeded group.
The third game was far more winnable for the Paladins. Sacred Heart in Baltimore has a strong lacrosse culture, but is far closer in size to Furman than their earlier opponents. The Paladins let themselves get caught up in a tough away environment, going down 7-2 early on in the game and then never managing to regain their footing.
The Paladins were led in scoring against Sacred Heart by junior middie David Williamson, who netted five. Junior middie William Holcomb also put in three goals and an assist for four points on the day. Perhaps the best Furman performance came from sophomore goalie Alec Van de Bovenkamp, who racked up 22 saves to set a Paladin record at the position.
Last year's Furman team went 1-7 during its out of conference schedule, but finished the season 7-8 thanks to a 6-1 conference run. Furman might struggle against some of the bigger schools, but we're still one of the most dominant lacrosse school in the Southern Conference. The Paladins dropped a heartbreaker in overtime to Canisus College, losing 14-13. The team hopes to start asserting itself outside its region.
The women's lacrosse team opened the season with two blowouts, the first coming in a 17-6 loss at High Point and the second in a 16-4 home win against Presbyterian. In the latter, the Paladins took 38 shots to Presbyterian's 18, allowing nine different Furman players to net goals in the route. Junior attacker Hannah Feinberg led the scoring with four, allowing the Paladins to breeze by their second opponent of the year.
The third game of the season came last weekend against Davidson. The Paladins struggled to stop the visiting Wildcats offense, allowing a quick 4-0 lead to open the match. Davidson never looked back, going into halftime with a commanding 10-4 scoreline and eventually finishing the game 18-8. They took 34 shots to Furman's 15, as the Paladins were stuck on the defensive for the duration of the game. Furman senior middie Meg Lingo managed to net four in the loss.
Last year's women's lacrosse team ended the season with a strong 12-7 record, despite opening with the same 1-2 record against two tough out-of-conference opponents in Duke and Vanderbilt. The team's opening slate is usually the toughest part of its regular season schedule. The Paladins will try to get back to their winning ways and raise their record to .500.
Both the men's and women's lacrosse teams look promising this year, boasting impressive goalkeeping, a tough defense, and multiple scorers. If the Paladins can overcome their tough opening schedules and retain dominance in the Southern Conference, playoff lacrosse will return to Furman.