LEWISTON — Taking on a senior-laded Mt. Ararat lacrosse team was a steep enough challenge already Saturday.

Add in the fact that it was a hot day and the Lewiston boys’ were shorthanded, it didn’t make it the easiest of days for the Blue Devils.

Mt. Ararat wore down Lewiston in a 6-1 KVAC boys’ lacrosse matchup, and outshot the Devils 30-12.

“They’re tenacious,” Lewiston coach Bill Bodwell said of the Eagles. “Those guys play hard. They want it. They out-groundballed us. They played with a lot of heart. We just got outworked today.”

Lewiston (5-5) outshot the Eagles 6-4 in the first quarter, but Mt. Ararat (7-2) tied the game and controlled play the rest of the game. The Blue Devils had just two shots in the second quarter and one in the third.

“We just have to make better decisions,” said Bodwell. “This was our worst game, and we’ll get better. I know we’re a better team than what we showed today. Mt. Ararat is a tenacious team, but we’re better than what we showed.”

Lewiston had already battled injury and ineligibility this season. That trend continued as the Blue Devils had to play without their two top goalies because of injuries. Tanner Hubbard was pressed into action and did a nice job, making eight saves.

“It’s been one of those years,” said Bodwell. “We lost a couple D-poles to grades.  I’m proud of these guys. They’re still working hard. We can play good, but our ability to withstand adversity isn’t as strong as it needs to be.”

John Brown had three goals for Mt. Ararat, ranked third in Eastern A,  while Kellen Connor had a goal and an assist. Shawn O’Connell had the lone goal for Lewiston, currently seventh in Eastern A.

“This was the first day we’ve really played in weather like this,” said Mt. Ararat coach Matt Haskell. “We always keep two lines running. The kids did a good job.”

Lewiston got the first goal with 6:41 left in the first quarter. O’Connell converted a Matt Melanson feed. Lewiston had some good early pressure, but once Mt. Ararat responded, the Blue Devils were chasing the Eagles.

“Our defense played great,” said Connor. “Every game so far this season, our defense has gotten better and better. We had that mindset that we weren’t going to let any more goals in after that first one.”

Connor tied the game with 4:42 with a man advantage. Then in the second quarter, Harnack and Brown scored to build a 3-1 lead. Mt. Ararat controlled play, outshooting Lewiston 13-2.

“You want patience and want to execute the offense effectively,” said Haskell, whose team was playing in its four games this week.

Lewiston was often held in its defensive zone. The Eagles kept constant pressure on and force numerous turnovers. The Blue Devils struggled to mount and attack and spent much of the third quarter watching Mt. Ararat possess the ball.

“That’s a big change from the first game because they possessed the ball in the first game,” said Haskell of a 6-4 Eagles win. “On a hot day, you really want to keep control of the game, and we did that.”

Knowing they were wearing down a shorthanded Lewiston club, the Eagles used that to their advantage.

“If we’re shutting them down, it gives us the boost that we need to play as a better team,” said Connor. “If we’re not letting them make the passes and shutting them down on offense, it was a great overall game for us.”

Mt. Ararat padded the lead in the fourth. Oram scored with 9:01 left. Then Brown scored twice in the final three minutes.

“I think we have an opportunity to make a good playoff run,” said Bodwell, whose team finishes the regular season against Brunswick and Cony. “We’ve played well against the teams that are ahead of us.”

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