Despite falling 1-15 to the Wootton Patriots on Friday night, the Richard Montgomery varsity boys lacrosse team made sure to provide the fans in the bleachers with an energetic performance on the field.

In spite of an early Patriots lead of 9-0 in the first half, the Rockets maintained a strong defensive presence, with junior Josiah Belfon-Valentine especially rising up to the challenge. Belfon-Valentine was the game’s vocal leader and put pressure on Wootton attackmen from the very start of the game through his excellent coverage of the field and aggressive play.

Junior goalie Bowen Ren made some spectacular saves in the game’s early minutes, but was injured near the end of the first half by a vicious shot on goal by a Wootton offensive player. “I got calf muscle contusion after the ball hit me right in the calf, and eventually I just couldn’t move my leg anymore,” said Ren.

Ren’s injury was not the only one suffered by the Rockets. Junior and long pole middie Archie Carr had injured his arm the week before, and spent Friday’s game cheering on the Rockets from the sidelines. The absence of two key RM players meant that the Rockets would have to fight even harder to overcome Wootton’s strong offensive.

After Bowen Ren was forced to leave the field on crutches, senior Chip Gardner filled in as goalie and boosted Rocket morale after he successfully prevented the Patriots from scoring in multiple key moments.

Drawing loud cheers from teammates and supporters in the bleachers, the Rockets gained momentum in the second half. Senior Ben Rosenberg provided the highlight of the night after he managed to break through a tight Patriot defense to finally score in the last ten minutes of the game.

Despite the loss, RM players expressed pride at having given their all against a tough opponent. Junior defender Chris Park said, “we all played our hearts out, and this is only the beginning. This season is our time to gain respect and so far we’ve earned it from every team we’ve played. A lot of people stepped up to the challenge and gave 100 percent, and that’s what matters.”

The next RM boys varsity lacrosse game will be held at home against Churchill on Monday, April 18 at 7:15 p.m.