Wednesday evening’s boys lacrosse game between Glenelg and Howard was atypical. The Gladiators and Lions are facing off again Monday in the Howard County championship game as the winners of the Summit and Sierra divisions, respectively.

It was a chess match between the teams, but neither treated it as a dress rehearsal for Monday. Glenelg struck first and got the early edge.

The Gladiators established control in the opening quarter and stifled the Lions offensively, holding them scoreless for over 40 minutes en route to a commanding 10-3 victory.

“We don’t have the ability right now going into the playoffs to treat anything like a dress rehearsal,” Glenelg coach Josh Hatmaker said. “We got a good scout on them. The kids dug into the film and they came out and executed. That’s what I told them, ‘We have to do what we did on Monday.’ We’re going to come ready just like we were, and I’m sure they’re going to make adjustments, and we just have to adjust to that.”

Glenelg’s defense was fast and physical, pressing out on the Lions’ attackers and speeding up their tempo.

Heading into the game, consistent off-ball communication defensively was a focal point.

The Gladiators (9-3) excelled in that area as Howard found few open opportunities on or away from the ball.

Recognizing the rematch in five days, Glenelg’s defense wanted to get a gauge on the Lions’ pace of play and the timing of their offense.

The Gladiators’ defense likely got what it needed as it suffocated Howard for nearly all 48 minutes.

“It’s all about knowing your personnel, KYP we call it,” senior defender/long stick midfielder Shane DuBois said. “You have specific matchups. If you know someone is going to roll dodge, you want to double that really quickly.”

While Glenelg’s defense was excellent, its offense was equally as effective. It consistently churned out long possessions, which tested the patience and endurance of Howard’s defense.

Albeit with speed, the Gladiators often rotated the ball from side to side multiple times before putting a shot on net.

They stuck true to their offensive identity, which has yielded solid results to date.

The Gladiators don’t have a surefire No. 1 player that they rely on every possession to initiate and take control of the offense. Rather, Glenelg thrives on its multiplicity offensively with myriad threats all over the field.

That showcased itself in a well-balanced offensive effort with eight goal scorers and seven of 10 goals assisted.

“That’s one of the things that we talk about all the time is: don’t work for good shots, work for great shots,” Hatmaker said. “It’s one of those things where we’re looking for certain things, and if we don’t get that, we move the ball to the next set. The patience is built into the offense.”

Junior Jack Hanna totaled a team-high four points (two goals, two assists).

Hanna, a transfer from Mount Saint Joseph, has fit seamlessly into the offense alongside his twin brother, Drew. They’ve bolstered a deep offensive unit that has now scored double-digit goals in six of its past seven games.

The opportunity to face the same team twice in five days and adjust from the previous meeting can be beneficial for both teams with high-magnitude playoff games on the horizon.

“You have to look at it from a positive perspective that, ‘Hey, we can film. We can be critical of ourselves, and we can get better,'” Howard coach Shea Conway said. “We’re going to have to do that with this and figure out what areas we need to improve, which is a lot.”

On Monday, the rematch heads to Glenelg.

The Lions will look to improve on their deficiencies, while the Gladiators hope to maintain their strong play and culminate the regular season with a county title.

“I think it’s about sending a message,” senior goalie Zach Coughlin said. “Sending a message to the county, the teams we’re going to play. These guys played a lot of really good teams in the entire state. So, beating them like that and coming out really putting it down, it was good to send a message to everybody.”

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