On Thursday, the Indiana boys of Culver Academy made the ten hour journey to Bethesda, Maryland to face off against Landon School in a battle between two of the best teams in the country. Ranked 7th in the Digital Sports National Lacrosse Rankings, Culver Academy battled hard in their 9-6 victory over 25th Landon School.
Starting the game off hot, Culver Academy scored three quick goals in the early minutes of the first quarter. The Bears responded quickly, marking their first goal midway through the first period. Landon tacked on another two goals at the end of the quarter, tying the game up at three goals apiece before the second quarter.
Just like in the first quarter, the Eagles came out strong. Halfway through the second, Culver Academy scored three goals in under a two minute span. Landon managed to net two goals, bringing the game to 6-5 for the Eagles. Then off a nice set play, Culver added on another goal with 12 seconds left in the second quarter. Culver went into halftime with a 7-5 lead over the Bears.
The second half was not quite as exciting. Landon made some adjustments to their midfield and defense, along with a change in net, slowing down Culver’s offensive force. In the third quarter, both teams only managed one goal each. Entering the fourth quarter up 8-6, Culver shut down Landon’s offense, but only managed an empty net goal for themselves, bringing the game to its final score of 9-6.
In this challenging game between two elite teams, many of Culver Academy’s players showed great talent and potential in their victory. The entire defense display great skill by holding one of the best teams in the nation to only six goals. On the offensive side, Dawson McKenzie scored a hat trick, Dean Ferris scored another two, and Joel Tirey had a goal and an assist.
Culver Academy pulled through to overtake Landon by coming out strong and retaining their lead. After a short break, Culver Academy gets back on the field on April 4 to face Detroit Country Day School. Starting the season off in 27th place, the Eagles have already made a huge impact in the national rankings, and with the form they are in, will continue to do so.
