Coming off of a five-win 2010 campaign and an offseason that featured a head coaching change, expectations for Oberlin men’s lacrosse weren’t necessarily high. Fast forward a year, and it’s easy to point out the tremendous progress this team has made. Wrapping up their first season under new Head Coach Topher Grossman, the Yeomen are set to finish the season with their best record in almost 15 years. This season marks the first year since 1995 that the men’s lacrosse team reached the seven-win mark.

With dominant, statement-making wins against Thiel, Centre and Otterbein Colleges, the Yeomen are finishing this season on a positive note. Oberlin first dominated the visiting Thiel Tomcats last Saturday, winning 16–5. Playing on Senior Day, midfielder Rob Bond was recognized for his four years of hard work and commitment. He is the team’s lone senior after entering Oberlin in a class of 12 freshman players in 2007. “As a senior, I felt a little extra kick of motivation to play on senior day,” he said. “Most of the team had family in attendance, and it’s always motivating to play a game in front of the greater OC lacrosse family.”

That motivation paid off as Bond and sophomore attacker Tom Hake each scored five goals against the Tomcats. Meanwhile, sophomore attacker Connor Jackson added two goals of his own to go with a career-high five assists in the game.

“We were able to use our disciplined offense, aggressive defense, and superior stick skills to counter their athleticism,” Hake said. Bond agreed, saying, “They are a young, raw team and our composure from the upper classmen allowed us to continue executing the game plan.”

By game’s end, Oberlin had dominated Thiel in almost every statistical category, out-shooting the Tomcats 50 to 11. The Yeomen also won 39 of 60 ground balls.

Tuesday’s matchup against the visiting Centre College Colonels was highlighted by a family battle, as Oberlin Assistant Coach Joey Severns faced his father Bert, the head coach of the visiting Colonels.

“Obviously every game is important but there was a good amount of build up about this match-up,” he conceded. “The guys knew I wanted to have bragging rights after the game and [they] started referring to my father as Papa Severns once they found out about the connection.”

The Yeomen were able to overcome the cold, rainy conditions and pull out a 10–5 win against the Colonels, as Hake and Jackson each continued their stellar seasons by combining for eight goals and two assists. Holmes and Bond also left their mark on the affair, adding two more Yeomen scores to seal the deal. For a second straight game, Oberlin dominated the shot battle, triggering 29 shots to Centre’s 15. Oberlin also had a 36–21 advantage in groundballs. Meanwhile, Bond was a force to be reckoned with, winning 13 of 16 face-offs.

“After the game [dad] told me we have a nice team that plays with a lot of intensity, which is a great compliment. He has given me plenty of advice over the years and someone I speak to on a regular basis especially during the season. It always feels great to get a win and our guys played well against a good team, which is the most important thing,” said Oberlin’s Severns.

The team wrapped up its season with a 9–7 win Wednesday night against Otterbein University. Jackson got the scoring kicked off, and Holmes and Hake added second period goals to give the Yeomen are 4–2 lead at the break. They scored four consecutive goals coming out of the halftime break and never looked back. Bond ended his career with two goals and an assist in his final game.

With the 2011 season over, the outlook for 2012 is much more positive. Expectations will certainly be higher, as the team returns all but one player for next year. Keep an eye out for a much-improved OC lax team in Spring 2012.