Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 7, 1995 TAG: 9505080098
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LEXINGTON LENGTH: Medium
``I'll settle for it,'' Generals' senior Andy Dutton said.
W&L survived a five-goal VMI blitz in the second and third quarters and captured the Lee-Jackson Classic for the seventh year in a row, 11-8, before 3,167 spectators at Alumni Memorial Field.
Junior attackman Russell Croft had a game-high four goals and one assist for 12th-ranked W&L, which snapped a three-game losing streak in raising its record to 9-5.
``We thought we were going to do a little better than we did,'' Croft said. ``It's been a tough last three weeks for us. We always try to show up and play every game, but this was something special.''
The Generals, who trailed 7-4 midway through the third quarter, took the lead for good when Croft rifled the ball past VMI goalie Ryan Olson with 12:16 remaining.
It was sweet redemption for Croft, who, less than a minute earlier, had been so close to Olson that they could have shaken hands. Olson didn't fall for any of Croft's fakes and made the save.
``You usually don't get another chance that soon,'' Croft said. ``I wanted to make sure to shoot it low - not high again after he had stuffed me. It's always nice to score when you've worked hard to get the ground ball.''
W&L scored seven consecutive goals before VMI (9-5) ended a 23-minute scoring drought when junior Joe Brockman netted the final goal with 3:15 remaining.
``I feel we have a good group of athletes; if anything haunts us, it's our lacrosse decision-making process,'' VMI coach Doug Bartlett said. ``We've got a lot of kids without an extensive lacrosse background, and they've got to learn on the run.''
Brockman finished with three goals and two assists, and sophomore Rob Worrell had one goal and three assists. Worrell led VMI for the season with 70 points (36 goals and 34 assists), and Brockman was high in goals with 39.
The Keydets were without midfielder and No.3 scorer John Ripley, suspended earlier in the week for excessive demerits. Ripley had almost a third of the team's extra-man goals.
Even without Ripley, VMI had high hopes of beating W&L for the first time since 1988. The Keydets had clinched their first winning season in three years and had lost only to Virginia and North Carolina since March.
``I thought we had a good shot last year,'' said Bartlett, whose troops lost at W&L 12-9 in 1994, ``and I felt we were in a better position this year.
``Everyone was telling me W&L was down and that [the Generals] had this problem and that problem. But, when [Scott] Mackley straps it on, you knew they were putting everything on the line.''
Mackley and fellow senior Dutton had been sidelined by knee and hamstring injuries, respectively, but their presence inspired the Generals - as did the corps of VMI cadets.
``When they're sitting behind your bench and yelling and screaming at you the whole time, it only works in your favor,'' W&L coach Jim Stagnitta said. ``I wish they were there every game.''
by CNB