Sophomores Charlie Knapman and Ben Browne each scored 4 goals as the Mt. Hope lacrosse team buried Burrillville 11-2 in a home game on Friday. The win halted a two game skid and evened their record at 3-3 in Division III.

Knapman, an attacker, currently leads the Huskies with 16 goals and 9 assists after 6 games this season. Brown, also an attacker, is second with 11 goals and 7 assists.

The 11 goals are the most that Mt. Hope has scored in a game this season. William Stimson also scored two goals and Noah Sweeney tallied 1. Stimson has 6 points on the season and Sweeney has 5.

Quality goal keeping

The Huskies is also receiving quality goaltending from sophomore Ethan Labolita, who made 13 saves in the victory over the Broncos. Labolita has made 92 saves in 6 games this team for a save percentage of 67%. The sophomore has shared time between the pipes earlier in the season with junior back-up net minder Nakia Cheeks.

Influx of experienced youth

The youthful Huskies, who had dropped down to Division III last season, have an influx of freshmen and sophomores to mix with a spattering of juniors and seniors thanks to a feeder program that was started at KMS.

Mt. Hope had just 13 players in 2021 after shutting down for covid in 2020 and just 15 players in 2022.

Middle School coach Steve Knapman started the program three seasons ago and the high school program has blossomed to 27 players this season.

“The current group is young, but experienced and talented,” said head coach Jay Spina. “We are learning every day how good we can be. Obviously there will be growing pains, but we see no limits to the potential for this program.”

Team captains are senior center James Thibaudeau, who has a face-off percentage of 61% and sophomores Knapman, Browne and Labolita.

Team goals

Coach Spina in his 11th year has short and long term goals for the team. He coaches the team with assistants, James Olson, Zach Burke, Max Moskala and Cam Rancourt.

“Team goals are to improve our lacrosse IQ on a daily basis and to blend together as a team,” said Coach Spina.

The Huskies long term goals are to make the playoffs with a high seed and play well while making a long playoff run.

The Huskies fell to Westerly 11-3 in their first game of the season on April 5. Then beat Narragansett 7-6 and the PCD/St. Rays Co-op 9-5. Mt. Hope lost to Smithfield 13-5 and then Toll Gate 8-6 before rebounding against the Broncos.