After 364 days since the last lacrosse game was played, the Stevenson Mustangs took the field again. The Mustangs faced Stevens Institute of Technology to kick off the 2021 season in Hoboken, New Jersey, on Saturday, March 6, 2021. The game began at noon on a cold early afternoon.
Fighting through adversity is nothing new for The Stevenson Mustangs. Starting off looking a little lethargic, the Mustangs trailed the Stevens Tech Ducks by the end of the first quarter 5-1. “It was a rough adjustment hopping off a bus and changing on the field in 20-degree weather, then playing a game,” said sophomore and starting attackman Dillon Linhardt.
After junior attacking Connor Nelson scored the opening goal of the second quarter, the Mustangs were off to the races. The tables turned and the Mustangs never looked back, as the team started seeing more possessions go their way. The energy then completely shifted towards the Mustangs’ favor. Stevenson out-scored Stevens Tech 12-3 throughout the last three quarters, with a final score of 13-8. Nelson finished the game with 3 goals helping lead the Mustangs to their first victory of the 2021 season. Junior captain midfielder Cameron Leydig said, “The team has been waiting for this moment for over a year. After the 2020 season ending so abruptly, there was no better reward than playing and winning again with my teammates.”
The Stevenson Mustangs finished with eight different goal scorers. Leydig explained, “This is what defines a strong team win, overcoming the long bumpy journey that last season put this family through really makes this win worthwhile.”
This was Stevenson’s first season opener win since 2016. The Mustangs have 14 more games ahead of them on their schedule this season due to the shortened schedule from COVID-19, and they plan to have bigger wins in the future, according to Leydig.
Stevenson’s games can be accessed through the Stevenson Network, and while it’s not ideal to play without fans in the stands, streaming the games is a way bring together the university community and athletics.
