Thursday, October 1, 2026
Baldwin boys’ lacrosse is in the midst of a three-game losing streak in which games seem to have a habit of slipping away. But through this dearth, in which the Bruins have skidded to a 2-5-1 record, coach Tim Clancy hopes to keep his players focused for battles ahead.
“It's not about them, it's about us,” Clancy said. “What do we need? Stop focusing on the other team, what they're going. Focus on what we're doing and what we need to do better. Just focus on us.”
In the Bruins’ last three games, they have not come within six goals of a victory and lost an especially tough game 15-3 against Hewlett on April 16. In their 12-4 loss to Hicksville last Saturday, Clancy described the hopeless feeling of a game slipping away.
“Hicksville was a team where, looking at our records and some of the teams that we both played, we thought we were really going to show up and be able to compete against them,” Clancy said. “And then we just couldn't get the ball going our way. We had possession and we had opportunities. We really just couldn't finish.”
But even in defeat, Baldwin has shown brief glimpses of more capable play, most notably through senior attacker Garris Williams. He has scored at least two goals in six straight games, including three in an 8-6 win over Great Neck South and four in a gritty 5-3 win against Uniondale. He has 16 goals and 10 assists so far.
“He's a guy where if you give him time and room from the outside, he could be pretty dangerous with the ball,” Clancy said. “We always try to create opportunities for him and set him up, to get him the ball with time or room so he can finish some shots.”
Together with junior Gavin McGinley, who has 10 goals and 5 assists, Baldwin has managed to scrape together production in games where it would have been off the board otherwise. Seniors Amir Karl-Otto and Kevin Rottkamp are also on pace for career-best seasons, while Gavin’s brother, freshman midfielder Connor McGinley, has picked up a considerable role early on.
In the past, Clancy has not been afraid to test players in new positions, challenging them to try something new for the good of the roster. It’s the perfect environment for senior Caden Wingate, who had never played goaltender several weeks ago and now has 93 saves.
But though Baldwin continues developing into what could be a winning roster by the end, the Bruins’ hopes of moving forward will go through senior defender and two-year captain Elijah Iles. Considered by Clancy to be their best player, he is also their natural leader.
“He's that kid that just is always on time, always does the right thing, never misses anything,” Clancy said. “Just constantly leads, leads vocally, and also leads by example.”
A determined machine on faceoffs, Iles’ role does not always show up on the scorecard, but as the Bruins try to rediscover their identity, the defender’s passion and effort provide a valuable touchpoint, as well as a reminder. By the time they reach a crucial slate of games in early May, including a key matchup against Freeport on May 8, these mid-April losses will be firmly behind them.
