BY SAPNA PATHAK

Too bad the game didn’t affect the standings.

After a few years of trying to plan a game against Division-I power Concord, the boys of Bow lacrosse showed they’re a Division II team in name only, beating the Crimson Tide, 6-1, at Southern New Hampshire University on Tuesday, May 22.

“Bow’s a very athletic team,” said Concord head coach Daren Premo. “They’ve got a bubble of athletic guys right now, and they played the way we expected. We would expect this type of game from them if they were a Division I, Division II or Division XVI.”

The Falcons, coming off a stinging 4-3 loss to St. Thomas the day before, struck first when senior attacker D.J. Meagher found an open Nick Laboe for the 1-0 lead with 5-minutes, 7 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Crimson Tide, entering the game 10-5 in D-I play, quickly evened things less than 40 seconds into the second frame after Matt Gilbert scored on a Kyle Starr assist.

Then it was all Bow.

Falcons goalie Pat Acone held the Crimson Tide in check, and the offense supplied a 2-1 lead with just more three minutes left before the half; midfielder Eli Mishkit scored the Falcons’ second goal.

Bow, 10-1 in D-II action, kept attacking as Alex Stephens found an open lane, sped past two Concord defenders and scored for a 3-1 Bow lead. Deven Erickson capitalized when Concord’s Eric Moore was handed a two-minute penalty for an illegal check. Erickson’s goal made it 4-1, before Mishkit added another less than one minute later.

But the Falcons weren’t the only ones flying high, as play was stopped in the fourth quarter when players from both squads let emotions take over.

“Anytime you’re going to have a Concord, Bow, Bishop Brady game, you’re going to have high emotions,” said Premo after three of his players were benched after the brawl. “You just tell them there’s more after this, and no one needs to be ejected. We’ve got the playoffs coming up, and everyone needs to keep their heads in it.”

Stephens agreed, saying it was no surprise seeing the rivals get heated.

“Once we got up, we sort of anticipated that because it’s such a big rivalry,” said Stephens. “We came into it not having much to lose because we were the underdogs because we’re Division II, so that helped give us some added motivation. This was a big win, especially after the St. Thomas loss and with the playoffs right here.”

Bow wraps up its season against rival Bishop Brady on Thursday, May 24.

And this time, the game counts.