Mother Nature Vs. Panter Sports

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – With all of Plymouth State’s sports teams scheduled to start their home schedule heading into Wednesday, the obvious victor turned out to be Mother Nature with the shutout.Despite eleven games between baseball, softball and lacrosse scheduled at home since last week, the Panthers had yet to play a home opener in any of their four spring sports late into this week, and three teams still await the opportunity to show off their skills at home.The elements remain the only opponent to defeat Plymouth State women’s lacrosse so far this season. After a 17-2 thrashing of Western Connecticut on Saturday, the Panthers saw their scheduled home opener against Bridgewater State rained out. Weather has hardly phased them otherwise, as Plymouth State remained undefeated through five games, including one victory in LEC play. The Panthers finally played their home opener Wednesday against Southern Maine, but not before having it postponed from the day before. The Panthers won 18-3 to improve to 6-0, but won’t take the field before the home crowd again until April 15, when they face conference-rival Keene State.Softball had far more misfortune than their fellow Plymouth State teams. Not only did the Panthers have all six of their home games postponed or cancelled, but they also saw both of their away games postponed as well, leaving the Panthers waiting for their first game since returning from their Florida trip over spring break. After canceling their nonconference games against Bowdoin altogether, the Panthers had doubleheaders against UMass Dartmouth and New England College to a later date. Having been out of action for nearly two weeks, the Panthers remain 5-6 overall, and have yet to play a Little East contest. The Panthers are expected to travel to Fitchburg State as well as Eastern and Western Connecticut for games over the next week before taking another shot at opening their home schedule, hosting Keene State April 13 at 4 pm.As far as getting their games played, the men’s lacrosse team has fared better. After being pounded by Wheaton last Tuesday, the Panthers split their weekend, falling to Keene but dumping Western Conn. The Panthers finally had their own shot at a home opener Tuesday against Southern Maine, but were forced to head northeast to Gorham, taking on the Huskies at home. Despite the move, the Panthers still cruised 11-2. At 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the Little East, the Panthers won’t have another chance to open their home schedule until April 18, when Johnson State comes to town for a nonconference matchup. The Panthers are not scheduled to have an LEC matchup at home until the end of the season, when they face UMass Dartmouth.The only team that has yet to be stopped by the weather is baseball, though they too have been forced to seek out alternative arrangements. The only sport to have played all their originally scheduled games so far, the Panthers were expected to play their home opener Sunday against Saint Joseph’s. Instead of making their home debut however, the Panthers would up traveling to Maine, taking on Saint Joseph’s in a doubleheader on their own field. The Panthers dropped both games against the Monks, 7-1 and 12-0, and combined with 5-3 and 12-0 losses to UMass Dartmouth on Saturday, the Panthers have lost nine straight to fall to 1-13 so far this season, though only 0-2 in the LEC. The Panthers’ next scheduled home game is Saturday in a conference doubleheader at noon against Eastern Connecticut.The snow may be gone, but April is well-known as the rain season, and mud still reigns the fields. With any luck, the weather will subside long enough to at least give fans a real taste of the spring season soon enough.