Moran, Lennon do their share for Mids

Patrick Moran grew up in Annapolis, dreamed of playing lacrosse at Navy and considered the Midshipmen’s rivalry with Maryland a personal favorite.

Joe Lennon was a fixture at Navy-Maryland games growing up while watching his brother Clipper play, most memorably in a 2004 upset of the then No. 1 Terrapins on a sun-splashed afternoon at Byrd Stadium.

Yet neither midfielder — both first-year starters on a line decimated by graduation and hampered in the preseason by injury — has seen the series quite like they will tonight, when the No. 9 Midshipmen (8-2) visit the No. 3 Terps (7-2).

It’s just the latest new experience for the sophomores, whose solid play in the first half of the season helped Navy enter April with only two losses — both in overtime to top-10 teams (Cornell and Georgetown).

That was the big question that everybody had in the fall, and it lingered and it’s kind of like a chip on our shoulder right now, coach Richie Meade said. It’s ’Who are these guys?’ and ’Who’s going to play?’ and ’Who’s going to score goals?’

As it turns out, both Moran (13 goals) and Lennon (eight goals and five assists), who were unknown commodities entering the season, have provided offense.

Both were instrumental in Navy’s erasure of a five-goal deficit on Saturday against Georgetown. Moran scored three goals, and Lennon had two assists before Georgetown squeezed out the victory.

It was an encouraging sign even in a loss. Lennon played only once last year. Moran did score twice in an early season game against North Carolina, but it was a surprise; Navy’s online game tracker could handle only a 50-man roster, and Moran was among the reserves omitted. His goals were credited to a goalie until a correction could be made.

There was little doubt Lennon and Moran could make a difference. Veterans Billy Looney, William Wallace and Tommy Wallin graduated, leaving spots on the top two midfields.

Then Basil Daratsos tore an ACL in August, an injury he returned from in time for the Mids’ opener but clearly not at the same level initially as a year ago.

He wasn’t there at the beginning either, Lennon said. It kind of came down to guys that had no experience whatsoever. Even though we didn’t have any experience, it was us. There was nobody else. We had to be the ones who stepped up and did something.

So they have but not without their share of struggles. At the start of the season, Navy’s offense displayed virtually no spontaneity. Lennon and Moran in particular were trying to be too technical and too precise rather than simply playing the game.

Some of it stemmed from a desire not to draw attention for a mistake, as well as a concern a poorly timed error could lead to a banishment to the bench. Yet another factor was basic unfamiliarity with playing at the college level.

Last year, we really didn’t get that many opportunities, and just starting for the first time, it’s a lot, just coming into the stadium with all those people there, Moran said. Just getting more comfortable and working with each other, we just know where each other is going to be now.

It’s led to a far more functional offense, helping the Mids mature quicker than some might have expected in the preseason.

Other teams play guys, and they’re young — Baby Terps and Baby Bisons, I hear all that stuff, and we never talk about that, Meade said. We just play. Joe and Pat both have kind of matured into pretty good players. I don’t think they’re anywhere near where they have to be to play at this level, but they’re getting there.