With the first game of the regular season approaching, the Patriots wanted to tighten things up in their preseason scrimmages. They would attempt to do that against Rockville on Mar. 19.
The Patriots took control early and never skipped a beat, as they got out to an early lead thanks to two goals from junior attackman Ben Bloch. “From the opening faceoff I felt good about the game. My teammates set me up well and I was able to finish both times,” Bloch said.
Bloch who was captain of the JV team last season, looked to continue his phenomenal play into this season. Bloch recorded an astonishing 36 goals in his sophomore year, which led him to becoming a key part in this year’s varsity squad. “Even though it’s going to be a different level of play and a faster pace during the games, I think I can change my game to adjust and continue to play well,” Bloch said.
Against Rockville, the Patriots never waivered, keeping the lead for the rest of the game and finishing off the Rams with a final score of 11-5.
The Patriots would take that momentum into their season opener against Walter Johnson on Mar. 27. The game got off to a slow start, but with help from their seniors, attackmen Alex Kim and Caleb Metz, along with defenseman Aaron Strauss, they were able to take a 5-2 lead in the half. One of the main changes the Patriots were looking to make heading into the second half was turnovers. There were two key ones that led to opportunities for the Wildcats, and one of them led to a goal.
In the third quarter the Patriots played stout defense and held the Wildcats to only one goal, while scoring two of their own to push the lead to 7-3. Although, the Wildcats were still hanging around and was poised for a comeback in the fourth. However the Patriots had other ideas, going on a 4-0 run to close out the game, highlighted by a behind-the-back score from senior attackman Hunter Band. With their first win of the season under their belt, the Patriots turned their attention to their next matchup against Richard Montgomery.
The Patriots took on the Rockets on Mar. 29 in a close and low scoring affair. The Rockets took the early lead in the first quarter and held off the Patriots’ attack for most of the first half. Goals from junior midfielder Zane Cohen and senior midfielder Alec Yassin kept the Patriots within striking distance all the way up until the final minute of the game. With an inability to capitalize on opportunities and score when needed, the Patriots fell 5-4. “It was a tough loss, especially because we were in it the whole game,” junior midfielder TJ Douglas said.
The Patriots took on Quince Orchard on Apr. 2 where they won 10-4.
