By RICHIE HALL
NOBLESVILLE – Carmel boys lacrosse coach Jack Meachum said his team’s mantra this season is “fast and aggressive.”
The Greyhounds lived up to that Wednesday when they played their season-opening game against Noblesville at the Millers’ Beaver Materials Field. Carmel overwhelmed Noblesville 22-1, with its junior class leading the attack.
“We played great,” said Meachum. “It was fun to see a lot of different guys contribute. We talk a lot about being fast and aggressive and getting up and down the field, and the boys did a really good job of that.”
The ‘Hounds set the tone early, scoring their first goal just 46 seconds into the game. Junior Jake Klein was the first to find the back of the net. Klein did it again in short order, putting in his second goal exactly one minute after scoring his first.
Junior Bryce Cannon got Carmel’s third goal with 8:26 left in the first period. Noblesville got its lone goal soon after, with junior Tyler Roberts finding the back of the net at the 6:56 mark. But the Greyhounds poured in four goals during a 78-second span to go up 7-1. Klein notched his third goal during that flurry.
Carmel added six more goals in the second quarter for a 13-1 halftime lead. Klein added two more scores to take his tally up to five goals, while junior Matthew Rodgers and sophomore Kyle Fedorcha both got one goal, after having scored one each in the second quarter.
“We have some really strong senior leaders and we have a lot of talented juniors,” said Meachum. The Greyhounds’ junior class was responsible for 16 of the team’s 22 goals.
“It’s a pretty wide range from freshmen to seniors on this team, but our senior leadership this year’s pretty unique and we have a really talented junior class behind it,” said Meachum. “It’s a fun team.”
Carmel scored four times in the third period, with Rodgers putting in two of those goals. The Greyhounds then added five more goals in the fourth quarter. Klein scored for the sixth time 11 seconds into the period, and sophomore Leo Hammons put in two more goals to finish the game.
Noblesville coach Mark Milam was pleased with his team’s effort in the face of such a tough team.
“I think the kids played with a lot of effort,” said Milam. “The kids played with a lot of passion. The thing is, when we scheduled this game, we knew what the possible outcome could be. But we like to look to people who have had success in this league.”
Milam used the example of his alma mater, reigning state champion Cathedral, who played reigning national champion Culver Academies and also lost a tough game.
“The idea being is, if you want to get better, you have to play teams that are better than you,” said Milam. “And you have to try and follow what teams that have had success do.”
Milam also wants his team to focus on what he calls effort over the long-haul, as opposed to effort in the moment.
“Effort over the long haul is, hitting the ball playing wall-ball,” said Milam. “It’s going running when you don’t want to. It’s picking up your stick, getting together with your friends and going to shoot. Effort in the long haul pays off and creates success.”
Klein scored six goals for Carmel, followed by Rodgers with five and Fedorcha with three. After Hammons’ two fourth-quarter goals, six other Greyhounds had one goal each: Senior Meade Hicks, followed by juniors Cannon, Chase Arbuckle, Will Spraetz, John Keeney and Brannick Arbuckle.
The Millers are back in action Saturday afternoon when they host Crown Point. Carmel goes back on the road next Wednesday when it plays at Guerin Catholic.