Whalers lacrosse finds the range in two wins
BY STEVE SHEPPARD INDEPENDENT SPORTS EDITOR
With two wins in their last two games, the Whalers' lacrosse team is playing with a newfound confidence that belies their 6-8 record. Coach Rick Blair hopes that confidence carries through this weekend when Nantucket takes on Bishop Connolly Friday on the mainland and Division 1 Dartmouth at home Saturday afternoon.

MICHAEL GALVIN/The Independent Captain Matt Dunham eludes a Bourne defender during last Friday's victory over Bourne.

A victory over Dartmouth could solidify a playoff berth for Nantucket, but Blair isn't taking anything for granted. "They're one of the up and coming teams in eastern Mass.," he said. "We have to be ready."

It was apparent the squad was ready to take on Weston at home last Saturday, as the Whalers avenged a 12-2 loss at Weston the week before with a convincing, 9-8, victory.

"That's the best we've played in two years," an elated Blair said afterwards. "It was a nice win for us."

He credited a new look on offense as one of the key ingredients in the win. Deadlocked, 3-3, at the half, Blair and his team tried a different strategy. "We wanted to set some picks, so we went to a 2-3-1 set, instead of a 1-4-1," he said, noting that playing two men behind the net left one less Weston defenseman out front. "We were able to feed the crease (out of this setup) four times," he pointed out.

There were also changes on defense, with Hadi Nabulsi making his first varsity appearance, and Josh Stone, usually a strong presence at midfield, switching over to make his first varsity start on defense as well.

It all added up to a new focus that led to a reduction in penalties and a spread-out scoring attack that saw six different players find the net. Mark Dwyer, Hakeem Lecky and Will Martin each scored two goals, while Matt Dunham, Josh Holdgate and Gavin Norton all contributed single scores.

In Friday's 7-4 home victory over Bourne, Dwyer notched a hat trick, Norton scored two, and Holdgate and Martin also scored.

As the Whalers enter the season's home stretch, Blair looks for more improvements in his rejuvenated team. Success, he said, is within reach "if we play the way we're capable of playing. It's just a question of taking advantage of

opportunities and playing smart." I