The Wings are ‘a couple of mistakes away’ from their first win
The Wings are 0-4 in the National Lacrosse League.
After the Wings lost Saturday night, falling to 0-4 in the National Lacrosse League, a message echoed from the team.
“We’re a couple mistakes away each game from being 3-1,” Wings defenseman Dylan Evans said.
Newly acquired Kevin Crowley said the same thing minutes later when asked about his first outing of the year.
“The message to the group right now is just to stick with it. Believe in each other. Play with confidence. And I think we’ve got some goods thing coming our way,” Evans said.
Crowley, last year’s NLL goals leader who came over in a trade with New England the previous weekend, helped the Wings get off to a fast start against the Georgia Swarm, something they had been struggling with for most of the season. Crowley took 17 shots, scoring two goals and assisting on two more in the Wings' 13-11 defeat.
Coach Paul Day said last week after acquiring Crowley that he would be the team’s No. 1 offensive threat. Saturday, his two goals were netted in the second quarter and he had little impact on the offense in the second half.
“I just want to watch the film, learn from it, and see what the players are doing and how we’re going to work best together,” Crowley said. “We’re going to be better going forward.”
Doug Buchan stood out in goal again for the Wings on Saturday. Although Buchan didn’t start in Saturday’s loss or last week’s loss in Toronto, he has stopped the bleeding when the team desperately needs a momentum shift. After the Swarm netted their sixth goal in the second quarter, Day inserted Buchan into the lineup, and he allowed the Wings to get back within striking distance, 9-5, at halftime. Buchan had a save percentage of 81, showing consistency after last week’s 82 percent against Toronto.
Day said the Wings spent too much time Saturday watching the NCAA’s all-time leading goal scorer, Lyle Thompson. He had his way against the Wings, compiling three goals and three assists.
"I don’t know if we’re nervous or apprehensive with some of these big names, but that’s part of the confidence,” said Evans, who agreed with Day’s assessment. “We have to play our system, and our system will dictate where we want guys shooting from early on.”
The Wings are in last place in the six-team Eastern Division, 2 1/2 games back of fifth-place Rochester, which holds the final Eastern playoff spot. Three of the Wings' losses have been by two goals or fewer, supporting Evans' case.