University of Maryland-Baltimore County men’s lacrosse coach Don Zimmerman challenged his seniors March 17 to take charge on the field following a lackluster loss at Maryland. Senior attack Drew Westervelt got the message loud and clear.
Since Zimmerman’s challenge, the John Carroll graduate has become one of the No. 13 Retrievers? most dangerous scorers with 11 goals and nine assists in the last five games. In UMBC?s last game against Binghamton Saturday, he scored with one second remaining in an 11-10 double-overtime win.
Westervelt said his turning point came not after the Maryland game, but the following week against Ohio State, when he had three goals and two assists in an 11-9 win.
“Coach told Andy [Gallagher] and I that he wanted us to get more touches, and we’ve gained confidencein the last month since that talk,” Westervelt said.
Westervelt has 21 goals and 21 assists for a team-high 42 points. His increased production couldn’t have come at a more opportune time, as UMBC (7-4, 2-1 America East) is 4-1 since losing at Maryland. The only loss in that span is a 13-9 loss at No. 2 Albany March 31.
With two games left in the regular season, including Saturday?s home contest against Vermont (3-9), UMBC likely needs to win out to have any chance at receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. But Westervelt said the team can control its own destiny by winning the America East tournament and getting an automatic bid like it did in 2006. To do that, UMBC probably would have to get past Albany (11-0), a team the Retrievers beat in the league final last year.
“We’re definitely picking up momentum at this time,” Westervelt said. “We’re playing better each week and have a chance to do some good things this year.”
Zimmerman said Westervelt has matured each of his four years at UMBC and is the type of leader on and off the field he expects from one of the team’s tri-captains.
“His role has adjusted through the years, but he has always adapted to it,” Zimmerman said. “He is effective in any role we put him in, and as a coach, I couldn’t ask for anything more from him.”
WESTERVELT NOTES
» UMBC senior attack Drew Westervelt is currently the fourth-leading active scorer in the country with 177 career points. He is tied for second with 79 career assists and seventh with 98 goals.
» Westervelt needs two goals to become the 11th Retriever to score 100 in a career. He is now seventh on UMBC?s all-time scoring list.
» He was named co-America East Conference player of the week this week after scoring three goals and two assists in Saturday’s win over Binghamton.
