Tyler Clark said the halftime message from Army lacrosse coaches is always the same: Win the first few minutes of the second half and establish a strategy to dominate the rest of the game.
Trailing host Rutgers 7-5 at halftime and facing a man-down situation at the start of the third quarter, the No. 12-ranked Black Knights responded, scoring the first two goals of the second half and holding the Scarlet Knights to just two goals the rest of the way. The result was a 11-9 non-conference victory over No. 18-ranked Rutgers to move the Black Knights record to 2-0.
“We know we are a resilient and tough group of players,” said Clark, a sophomore midfielder, who scored crucial two goals in the fourth quarter to put the Black Knights up to stay. “Coach (Joe) Alberici always tells us at halftime how important it is to come out strong at halftime and to win the first five minutes. We were down two and we all knew how important it was to play well and get the job done.”
Clark added, “Today, we learned what type of team we are. We showed ourselves how to rebound and to regroup. It also showed the pride we have in ourselves here.”
Having lost three straight and six of seven games to Army, Rutgers came to play on Saturday in a contest held indoors at the dimly-lighted Hale Center in Piscataway, N.J. because of the cold temperatures and high winds. The pesky Scarlet Knights, out of the Big 10 Conference, jumped out to a 2-0 lead and scored three of the last four goals of the half to take the two-goal lead into the locker rooms.
“I don’t think we played horribly in the first half and Rutgers played very well,” said Alberici. “They are a good team and it showed in the first half. Plus, that was a unique environment that was darker than we expected and something they are used to since they practice in there. They also spread us out on defense and have a lot of speed in the midfield.”
But Army is again on a mission to prove to the college lacrosse world that it is among its best programs and beating a team from the vaunted Big 10 conference is always important to that cause. And, while the Black Knights made not have come out of the gate well, they dominated both offensively and defensively in the second half to win the contest.
“This was a great win, a complete win for us, and the guys answered the bell,” Alberici said. “(Senior midfielder) Evan Plunkett made some great plays and assisted on two of the last three goals in the game. Tyler Clark had those two key goals near the end and our defense, including John Sullivan and Tommy Stines, were great, especially in the second half. Sean Byrne (12 saves, 57 percent save rate) and Robert Simone (12 of 22 at the faceoff X) also played extremely well for us.”
Gunnar Fellows scored four times for the Black Knights, while Hill Plunkett and Cal Lambert each notched two goals.
For Clark, who saw some action last year rotating into the lineup, Saturday was his best game in a Black Knights uniform.
“The coaches and my teammates have given me a lot of confidence that allows me to do my thing,” Clark said. “Plus, with these other guys like Gunnar and Evan and Hill getting so much attention from the defense, I sometimes have more space to work with and today got the opportunity to contribute.”
Clark, a graduate of Staples High School in Westport, Conn., said attending West Point was an easy decision.
“I knew right away that West Point was for me,” Clark said. “I noticed the special interaction between the players and with the coaches and I knew I wanted to be a part of this experience. Plus, I realized very quickly that if I did not go to West Point it would be something I would regret for the rest of my life. I made the right decision.”
