Defense dominates as Seahawks ice out Senators 7-3

A 7-3 win over Dover April 30 broke a three-game losing streak for the Sussex Academy boys’ lacrosse team. 

“We needed something to come back, and I think it was good for us to be able to kind of bring it back together and be a team again,” said coach Andrew Fox.

The long sticks and big net ruled the day for the Seahawks, as goalie Jackson Hagy and Co. limited goals strictly to the transition game.

“Once we got the six-on-six, it was our game on defense,” Fox said. “We got to sticks, we got the balls on the ground, we won the ground-ball battle and we just really came to work today.”

Cooper Lawson, who often draws the opponent’s best player, relished the chance to suppress an offense.

“You've got to put out 110% the whole way through the game; make sure that you keep your teammates up – everyone supports each other,” Lawson said.

The offense did its part to limit damage as well.

“When the offense has the ball most of the time, it gets quiet,” said Jackson Hagy. “When the other team comes down, Cooper and I just have to keep the communication up.”

It was the middies who fueled the offense, as Chase Ballinger led all scorers with a hat trick, while Gideon Sammons notched a brace and Jack “Taco” Meszaros buried one into the twine. All six shots were taken from the outside.

Although they couldn’t crack into double digits, the Seahawks were pleased with their complementary play.

“We need to value the ball and get long possessions, because that is really gonna stretch out the game, especially if we could score in those long possessions,” Ballinger said. “That's very helpful for our offense – just need to work on getting the ball to X."

The Seahawks will have plenty of time to heal any wounds sustained during the game, as they will not play again until their Senior Night Friday, May 9, against Woodbridge.