It was tough for the Clan lacrosse team last weekend, but the Burnaby boys managed to continue their strong season with wins over the University of Utah and Oregon State University. The two wins up the Clan’s winning streak to six games, and improve their record to 5–0 in the conference and 7-1 overall.
The two-game trip started with a neutral site game against the University of Utah Utes in Vancouver, Washington. The Clan got off to a slow start with the Utes going up 2–0 early in the first, but after the rude awakening, the Clan went on a 9–3 run to take control of the game in the first half.
The Clan slowed down a bit in the third, but still outscored the Utes 3–2 to bring the score to 12–7. In the fourth however, the momentum swung heavily in the Clan’s favour, as they outscored the Utes 6–1 over the last 15 minutes to bring the final score to 18–8.
The Clan’s firepower was led by two-time All-American Sam Clare who tallied five goals and two assists, while leading scorer Tyler Kirkby (two goals, four assists), and Ward Spencer (five goals, one assist) both had six points.
The Clan then made their way down to Corvallis, Oregon to take on the Oregon State Beavers who currently sit second in the conference behind the Clan. The Beavers came out fighting, netting the first goal of the game and putting the Clan behind early for the second time on the weekend.
It was an uphill fight for the Clan, but they eventually pulled away and took the game 9–5. Spencer led the way for the Clan offensively with five points (three goals, two assists), followed closely by Kirkby, who had four (three goals, one assist).
Senior goaltender Darren Zwack played both games for the Clan, stopping 10 of 18 for a save percentage of .556 against Utah and stopping 11 of 16 for a save percentage of .688 against OSU. His save percentage for the season is now an impressive .690.
The Clan will slow things down for the rest of the season, with just one game a weekend until the playoffs. Up next for the Clan are two home games against Washington State on March 29 and Portland State on April 5. The Clan remain at #10 in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association rankings but look to continue their rise in the standings as the playoffs approach.
