Cambridge 27 - 1 Surrey

Cambridge University Mixed Lacrosse Club (CUMLC) got off to a flying start to the season on Sunday, with a 27-1 win against league newcomers Surrey. This is great encouragement for their new-look team, following the graduation this summer of a number of experienced Cambridge players.

The match started strongly for Cambridge, as centre Ian Houlsby won the first draw to set Cambridge up for a shot on goal within the first two minutes, which was only narrowly saved. However, this did not deter a spirited Cambridge side, who used both speed and skill to confuse the Surrey defence and to rack up a 9-0 lead after the first quarter.

The second quarter proved even more positive, as some impressive play from the straight attacks, especially newcomer Serenydd Everden, allowed Cambridge to extend their lead even further. Cambridge’s refusal to give up on any groundball in the midfield meant that the Cambridge defence remained untroubled, with the Cambridge goalkeeper yet to make a save, allowing CUMLC to end the quarter with a more than convincing 19-0 lead.

However, half time is no time for complacency, and new captain Chloe Colliver used the break to encourage the team to create goals from set plays and tactical movement. CUMLC relaxed into more settled play which resulted in a steady flow of goals during the third quarter. Despite some fast breaks from the Surrey men, Cambridge’s defence coped well with the pressure, driving the Surrey attack away from goal and forcing the opposition to make some crucial mistakes. The Surrey defence had no answer to the powerful shots of the CUMLC attackers, and Louis du Sauzay and Nick Howe should be congratulated on scoring on their first appearance for Cambridge.

The final quarter saw much of the same from Cambridge, demonstrating impressive tactical awareness and fitness, creating clever goals, and spurred on by particularly vocal support from Tory Brown and Milly Maudsley. Although a momentary lapse of concentration allowed Surrey to convert a fast break into a goal, Cambridge responded to this mistake with tighter marking and better communication. Not even an injury to midfielder Nathan Hudson-Peacock could distract CUMLC from their game, and Cambridge emerged at the end of the fourth quarter as worthy winners.

CUMLC should be very proud of their effort on Sunday, especially as so many players were representing Cambridge Lacrosse for the first time. Although the match identified some areas of improvement for future matches against more experienced sides, the talent in the new squad is incredibly exciting and can only mean good things for the rest of the season. Next up, Brighton.

Want to step up the intensity from college mixed lacrosse? Get in touch with cc669@cam.ac.uk to see when you could try joining a training session