A pair of starters in sophomore midfielder Stephen Goff Jr. and sophomore long-stick midfielder Zachary Kelly sat out Washington College's 16-10 victory over Muhlenberg on Saturday, and they will miss Wednesday's Centennial Conference showdown with Ursinus.
Coach Jeff Shirk said Goff, Kelly, and freshman long-stick midfielder Sam Cloud, Kelly's top backup, will not play against the Bears as they finish a two-game suspension for breaking unspecified team rules. The trio's absence could hurt, but Shirk said the Shoremen (5-5 overall and 4-0 league) will adjust.
"We have our system, so it doesn't change that much," he said Monday. "It's more of an approach. You know you're going to have young guys in there, so you know they're going to make mistakes. It's a lot more of just trying to keep them up mentally and if they make a mistake, to make sure that you build them back up and talk through that mistake."
Goff's hole on the first midfield was filled by senior Sam Birnbaum, who moved from attack to join twin brother, Luke, and junior Sid Looney. And sophomore Jon Heneberry (Calvert Hall), senior David Pim, and freshmen Austin Hepburn and Pat McManus (Boys' Latin) also got some runs with the starting line.
Senior Gavin Shuart started at long-stick midfielder for Kelly and Cloud.
Shirk also said senior midfielder Grant Hughes' hamstring injury that has sidelined him since the second game of the season on Feb. 28 has morphed into a nerve issue that threatens to end his career.
"He's got his strength, and he's got his flexibility back," Shirk said. "Now he's on some pain meds to try to help with the nerve issues. We're still positive, but every time that we think that we have him close and he's allowed to practice live for a couple drills, it seems that he takes a step backward. Would we love to get him back? Absolutely, but right now, he's still day to day."
Shirk said Hughes is not considering sitting out the rest of the season and applying for a medical redshirt because he is scheduled to graduate in May and wants to join the workforce and coach lacrosse. The best-case scenario for Hughes could be a return in time for the Centennial Conference tournament, which begins April 29.
"If we could get him to a point where he's able to help us in the conference tournament if we're lucky enough to qualify, that would be phenomenal," Shirk said. "Even him at 60 percent would help immensely."