HUNTSVILLE- We didn’t lose the game; we just ran out of time - Vince Lombardi.
In the case of present situation involving the Huntsville Hawks senior B lacrosse team, that quote from the legendary football coach appears appropriate.
Losing is something that has been plentiful this season for the Hawks … and time is indeed running out.  
“That’s for sure,” said head coach Karl Carnduff. “We need to turn this thing around and turn it around soon. We have to do something this weekend. All the Major Series Lacrosse teams are making their cuts so teams like Norwood and Owen Sound will be starting to bulk up.”
The Hawks are in last place in the Ontario Senior B Lacrosse League, losers of all seven of their games to date.  The only saving grace has been that one of their defeats came in overtime, which earned the team a single point.
“I never expected things to be like this when we started the season,” said Carnduff. “Nope. Not a chance. I thought we would be a lot better than this.”
Although the team has nine games left on the schedule, the time to turn the season around is starting to run out.
The top six teams make the playoffs in the OSBLL, with the top two teams receiving a buy into the semifinals and the bottom four teams playing in the quarter-finals.
Huntsville, in seventh place, would miss the post season for the first time in its three-year existence in the league if the playoffs were to start today.
The Hawks are back in action this Saturday when they travel to Sarnia to take on the expansion Beavers, who sit three points ahead of Huntsville in the standings. The game marks the halfway point in the Hawks’ 16-game season.
The Hawks have not played in nearly two weeks, since they were downed on May 19, 14-5 by Norwood and 13-7 on May 20 by the Oakville Titans.
The trio of Joe O’Halloran, Corey Moore and Todd Holinshead has been a bright spot thus far for the Hawks, as they are leading the team’s offence and are among the league leaders in scoring.
O’Halloran had two goals and two assists against Norwood, while Moore and Holinshead each had a goal and an assist. Jason Fisher also had a goal and an assist for Huntsville in that game.
O’Halloran and Holinshead each had a marker and a helper against the Titans, while Moore counted a single goal. Bill Mills had two for Huntsville, with singles to Barna Robinson and Luke Walton (three points).  
O’Halloran’s 26 points has him tied for third in league scoring, while Holinshead and Moore each have 20 points, good for a tie with two others for 14th place.
Scoring has not been the Achilles heel for this team this year. Team defence, according to Carnduff, has let the Hawks down to date.
“We are not playing well in our own end at all. We are panicking and we don’t communicate and if we don’t communicate people get open and its too late.”
Carnduff said he expects to have a better showing against the Beavers come Saturday when they welcome veteran Colin Boucher back into the lineup.
Boucher has missed the past three games with a bruised shinbone.