For roughly three minutes of game play, Salem boys lacrosse coach Chris Keleher was happy with the effort his team gave. The rest of the contest was a different story.

The Blue Devils lost a 6-2 halftime lead and fell in overtime to Memorial on Saturday, April 25, despite clawing back with two goals in the final minutes to force the extra frame. Mitchel Powers ended the contest with 2:27 remaining in overtime, sending Salem home with a 10-9 defeat.

Salem’s fourth quarter was quiet until Jake Matthews worked from the sideline to the middle of the field, scoring while falling down to pull his team within a goal at 9-8 with 3:09 left.

He nearly tied the score with little more than a minute remaining, but his shot ricocheted the post. Brett Miller capitalized on a pass from Steve Kalucki with 44 seconds remaining, firing a shot into the back of the net, but the Blue Devils couldn’t score in the extra session, dropping to 0-5.

“We played down a level,” said Keleher. “As I told the kids, we let them play with us, and they did. They outplayed us, and we played lackadaisically. Until they want to make a commitment to play four quarters of lacrosse, we’ll be dealing with those issues.”

Miller’s four-goal effort wasn’t enough for Salem, which played its closest game of the season after losing by at least six goals in four prior games.

Keleher said he is most frustrated by his team’s approach to games, not the results on the scoreboard.

“We had kids who forgot game uniforms and things like that,” said Keleher. “That points to where the head is. If your head’s not in the game, then we’re going to be in trouble.”

Keleher said his squad can bounce back and take a lesson from its setback at Memorial.

“The last two and a half minutes of the game, that’s the kind of effort we need the whole game,” he said. “You have to play like that the whole game, not the final two minutes when you know you’re in trouble.”