Cosmos hold on against Terriers

It’s been a rocky season for the Division II Springfield Cosmos who have had to deal with a schedule that had them playing eight of its first nine games on the road and its two most recent opponents were Division I stalwarts Mount Anthony and Brattleboro.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120125/SPORTS/701259861

Published January 25, 2012 in the Rutland Herald
Cosmos hold on against Terriers

By POODY WALSH
Correspondent

SPRINGFIELD - It’s been a rocky season for the Division II Springfield Cosmos who have had to deal with a schedule that had them playing eight of its first nine games on the road and its two most recent opponents were Division I stalwarts Mount Anthony and Brattleboro. As a result of that start the Cosmos were struggling along with a 2-8 record going into Tuesday night’s game at home with Bellows Falls.

The Terriers came into the game sporting a 6-1 record, but the Cosmos threw a bunch of defenses at the them and with 1:40 to go had what looked like a comfortable 40-31 lead.

However, nothing is coming easy for the Cosmos this winter and while they ended up with a 41-39 win it had many grip your seat moments down the stretch. Or as Springfield coach Pete Peck stated; “We pretty much did everything we could to lose it.”

The game was Saturday Night Wrestling from start to finish with finesse a missing ingredient. There were three officials assigned to the game. At times it seemed they needed more.

The final 100 seconds were a meat grinder. There were missed free throws, inexplicable turnovers and one play that probably kept Bellows Falls’ talented Mike Hall awake all night. With 23 seconds to go Bellows Falls’ Drew Guild hit the first of two free throws to pull the Terriers within one at 40-39. He missed the second, but Hall who seems to have endless arms, muscled in for the rebound but his putback shot rolled off. After slamming both palms of his hands on the floor, he scurried back up court, because the drama of this night was not over. With 9.5 seconds to play Cosmos Jake Patoine was sent to the line where he made one of two to make it 41-39. Then with still time to get a decent shot off to tie or win the game the Terriers didn’t seem to playing with a sense of urgency and got off just a long distance shot that was way off the mark as the game ended.

While Peck knew it was not an artistic success it was a win keyed by the defense and a win that the Cosmos had to have.

“We’ve been playing good defense all year and we really needed this,” said Peck who Cosmos will play their third game in four nights on Thursday when Fair Haven comes to Riverside.

The loss was the second straight for the Terriers after six opening season wins and Coach Evan Chadwick knows he’s got to find some more offense. “It’s not that we have bad shooters, but we’ve been cold lately,” he said.

Bellows Falls was especially cold early as Springfield had a quick 10-0 lead that resulted in a 12-6 edge at the end of one. Springfield got the spread to 14-6, but the lead was never comfortable as Hall made his presence felt in a strong second quarter with four inside baskets that eventually led to a 20-20 game at the half.

The Springfield defense held the Terriers to just four points in the third quarter as Hall picked up his third early in the period and scrappy Kendrick Mills his fourth late in the frame. However Springfield could get just nine points so the lead was tenuous at 29-24 after three periods.

Mike Muther had a steady game for the Cosmos as his three followed by two free throws and lay-in by Aaron Wallace put the Cosmos up 40-31.

Muther finished with 11 for the Cosmos while Wallace had eight and Kirk Perham seven. Hall had 17 for Bellows which goes to Fall Mountain on Friday.