Coast Guard still in the hunt for first title
No. 1 Bears advance to third straight NEWMAC men’s lacrosse final
New London — Here they are again, where they've been before, where hope eventually morphed into disappointment. But maybe this time. Maybe this year.
It was semifi- nal Saturday on the turf of Cadet
Memorial Field, where Coast Guard Academy made its third straight New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference men's lacrosse title game, throwing Wheaton down a flight of stairs, 20-4.
This is the third straight NEWMAC championship game appearance for the Bears, who lost to Springfield in 2018 and 2019. There was no championship game last season.
Coast Guard, in its seventh season of NCAA lacrosse, will seek its first NEWMAC championship and auto
matic NCAA tournament berth next Saturday at home against No. 2 Babson, which defeated No. 3 Clark 13-8 on Saturday night.
"I think the first time we got here, there was a big lump in our throat. There was a lot to it," Coast Guard coach Ray LaForte said. "The second time, we got unlucky and got a couple of bad bounces. I think Babson is going to win (Saturday night). They're outstanding. Like nine grad students. The challenge is going to be enormous."
The same applies for the Babson. For one thing, they'll have to contend with sophomore Caleb Holdridge, a Waterford High grad, who continues to show that he came by all those Division I offers from high school honestly.
Holdridge, who picked Coast Guard over Div. I Manhattan, scored seven goals Saturday and has 24 in four games this season.
"I have some great teammates," Holdridge said. "We run a different style of offense that open up looks. This is a band new experience for me being in a championship game here. But for the seniors, it's everything. They've been there two previous years and haven't gotten the championship, so everything is on the line for them."
Will Iorio had four goals and four assists for Coast Guard (4-0), while Taylor Gustafson and Conor Rowan had three goals apiece.
"I think this is our best team in the seven years of varsity lacrosse here," LaForte said. "I think this is our most compete team. Caleb, Will and Gaige (Kruger) have been phenomenal. It might be our most athletic team. The battles we have in practice, our full scrimmages are good games. I think we're ready for this.
"These seniors came up with the cliché of 'appreciate the process or ATP.' The young guys have bought into it. Now it's a whole different vibe. It almost feels new."