Midfielder Henry West winds up to shoot during the second half of the Terps’ 8-1 win over Navy at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Feb. 14, 2014.
With less than eight minutes remaining in the third quarter of the Terrapins men’s lacrosse team’s 10-6 loss at Yale on Saturday, Henry West received a pass from fellow midfielder Joe LoCascio near midfield and sprinted toward goal.
West dodged to his right and gained a step on Yale midfielder Harry Kucharczyk. With a clear path to the cage, the midfielder rifled a bounce shot that slipped under the goalkeeper’s right leg while falling to the ground. The goal, West’s fourth of the year, tied the contest at five.
While the No. 10 Terps, who will host No. 11 Penn in their home opener Tuesday, have struggled developing a clear identity on the offensive end of the field, West has been a bright spot. The junior is tied for the team lead with five points and scored two goals in each of the team’s first two games.
“I think he would tell you that a lot of the time his teammates look for him, set him up and share the ball,” Terps coach John Tillman said.
Throughout the first few weeks of the season, the Terps have struggled to find the back of the net and rank last in the Big Ten with an average of seven goals per game. But West’s contributions have been a positive for an otherwise lackluster Terps offense.
The junior, who transferred from Cornell after receiving minimal playing time his freshman season, recorded 16 goals in 2014 despite starting only six of 17 contests.
“Having been here for a year, I think he feels more comfortable being a leader,” Tillman said. “He can do that because he’s been around.”
West has started both of the Terps’ games this season, and Tillman expects West to continue to produce at a high level when the Terps welcome Penn to Byrd Stadium.
The Quakers, who are winless in 12 games all-time against the Terps, allowed Saint Joseph’s to score the game’s first seven goals Feb. 17 before capturing an 11-10 win. West and the Terps will hope to get off to a similarly quick start in their matchup with Penn.
Goalkeepers Jimmy Sestilio and John Lopes split time for the Quakers this past week, with Sestilio surrendering the opening eight goals. Lopes took over for the start of the second half and allowed just two goals while stopping three shots — two in overtime — in more than 30 minutes of action.
As the season progresses, the Terps’ need for a definitive goal-scorer will persist. Tillman continues to stress patience, citing the Terps’ growing pains as typical.
West could be the answer, and he showcased his scoring talent early in Saturday’s contest, too.
Trailing 4-2, the Terps earned a man-up opportunity thanks to a slashing call midway through the second period. With about 7:06 left in the quarter, attackman Matt Rambo faked a move toward goal before dumping the ball to LoCascio, who quickly passed to West. West caught the ball, stepped into his shot and zipped a bounce-shot into the bottom right corner of the net.
“He’s a very selfless guy. He’s kind of quiet and does his own thing,” Tillman said of West. “But he works very hard and he’s really competitive on the field.”
Tillman hopes that sense of competitiveness will rub off on West’s teammates in the Terps’ third game of the season.
“Henry’s a big, strong athlete,” Tillman said. “He shoots the ball pretty hard.”