Kyle Barnett isn’t the flashiest name on the Boston Rockhoppers roster, but the defender had an overall solid season as he helped Boston win the first ever North American Lacrosse League Championship.
“It feels good to be a champion” said Barnett. “It’s great to be able to compete in a competitive league and strive for a goal as a team.”
Boston and the Kentucky Stickhorses have become rivals of sort, so the physical play in a game that important wasn’t a surprise to viewers, or to Barnett.
“The game was chippy as is expected when playing the Stickhorses,” he said. “They believe they would have had more wins if they could control their emotions and play true lacrosse. As a team, our offense dominated as shown on the scoreboard. Our defense broke down at times and we allowed more goals than what we discussed before the game. It’s hard to lose a game when your offense puts up 20+ points.
“My game personally was not the best of the season as I have felt under the weather and traveling takes a lot out of you. I did my job on defense, defended my teammates when needed, and we came out with the win.”
Boston looked like a dominant team all season long. Was it because of good coaching, or more experienced boxla players? Barnett said that, plus strong chemistry.
“Right from the start our team had great chemistry. Everyone got along well and that showed throughout the season. I am a strong believer that camaraderie helps win games. From the start, some of the more experienced box players (Hotaling, Schroader, etc) took charge and explained the details of the game for the newcomers. I could not have asked to be on a more talented yet humbled team that everyone knew their role and contributed to help us have a winning season.”
