Days on end have been spent inside Jones Fieldhouse for the Yeomen’s lacrosse team. The echoes of metal shafts smacking shoulder pads, the grinding of cleats into the worn out turf, and the hardship of being able to only play small-sided games had to prepare the Yeomen for their first match of the season, a North Coast Athletic Conference match-up against Ohio Wesleyan, a team that Oberlin lacrosse has not beaten for forty-two years.

Despite playing in what has felt like a cage, the Yeomen would have to make due against Ohio Wesleyan. The Battling Bishops have been fortunate enough to prepare for their season outside because of their turf field. Heading into the match, OWU had a psychological and experiential advantage over the recently released Yeomen since they had already played two matches, winning one and losing the other.

In the brisk cold with the sun blocked out by gray clouds, the Yeomen prepared for conference battle with the weapons of desire and grit against the Battling Bishops’ weapons of preparedness and game experience. Unfortunately for the Yeomen, desire and grit could not keep the Bishops from scoring, as six shots rattled the cage in the first quarter alone. Fourteen more would find their way into the net for the Bishops as the game concluded with an Oberlin loss, 20-8.

Despite what looked to be a sure blowout, determination overtook the Yeomen team as they started off the second with a power-play goal fourteen seconds into the quarter. Senior co-captain Bryan Harfenist dispensed the first goal of the season. Harfenist, who again scored three minutes and forty-two seconds later, first year Eric Strand, and junior Chris Sanders also found the net for Yeomen in the second, bringing the game to 7-4, an easily erasable lead.

Unfortunately, the lead increased for the Bishops at the end of the quarter as they converted four more chances, ending the half with a 10-4 lead.

Strand and fellow first year Alex Jacobs scored in the third, with Jacobs and senior co-captain Ian Mark getting their names on the score sheet in the fourth. The Bishops then struck the mesh ten more times in the second half, closing out the game and the victory. Goalkeeper Drew Zambelli ended up with an impressive twenty-eight saves for the Yeomen.

Although the game looks like a rout on paper, for the Yeomen, being outside for the first time all year and netting eight times against one of the nation’s perennial strong sides is a positive sign. It also marks the first time in over a year that the Yeomen have scored eight goals against a conference team.

Sophomore sensation midfielder Jesse “Hurricane” Kane, stoked over the eight goals scored against Ohio Wesleyan, vocalized his emotion by saying that, “This is only a start. The fans should expect more goals and high scoring games with the Yeomen coming out on top.”

The Yeomen will be re-released from Jones Fieldhouse on Saturday as they take on Shenandoah University at 2 p.m.