By RANDY SEAVER | Editor

The University of New England Nor’Easters club lacrosse team was full of enthusiasm and high spirits during their warm-up stretches in the moments before their final game of the season Saturday against the St. Anslem Hawks.

But unfortunately, the Nor’Easters walked away with a disappointing 5-4 loss.

While a cold steady drizzle blanketed the field, the small band of UNE fans felt even more glum when the first quarter ended with St. Anslem leading, 3-0.

“We started well, and after letting in three goals in the first quarter, our defense only allowed two more goals the rest of the game,” said Head Coach Donald Vivian who is also senior assistant director of undergraduate admissions at UNE.

“Unfortunately, we struggled to find the net, but the group kept fighting until the end,” Vivian added. “A low-scoring game really speaks to a defensive battle with strong goalkeeping.”

Before the game started, five UNE seniors were recognized during a brief ceremony that allowed their parents onto the field to accept long-stemmed flowers from the pending graduates who would soon be playing their last game for UNE.

According to Vivian, those senior players were the ones who pushed for the creation of the club program, “leaving a lasting impact on campus.”

“They [the graduating seniors] took the chance and followed their interests and passions, which opened the door for other students down the road to do the same. I hope that the seniors will be proud in the future,” the coach said.

Jake Power was one of those seniors, and his parents — Joe and Gretchen Power — drove to Biddeford from Westford, Mass., just to watch their son play his final game at the University of New England.

“Not the best weather for a game,” Joe Power said with a grin. “But it’s good to be here, and there’s no place I’d rather be right now.”

Nick Welch, another Westford, Mass., resident, also joined the Power family to watch as his “good friend” Jake took the field.

The student volunteers in the broadcast booth also had a little fun on Saturday, reading off the names and future plans of each senior player.

When Jake Power was introduced, the booming voice over the speakers announced that after graduation — Power would soon be employed as a “technician for NASCAR motor racing.”

In fact, according to his family, Jake will actually be completing graduate work in marine entrepreneurship after earning his bachelor’s degree this year.

According to Club Sports Director Patty Bohn Williams, UNE has 23 active club sports team, a number she described as “unique for a school this size.”

Saturday’s close loss may have been a heartbreaker, but as the shout that was heard loud and clear from the UNE bench just moments after the game started, “there’s no crying in lacrosse.”

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