Following an outburst of scoring by the offense last game against Dartmouth, it is the men’s lacrosse team’s defense that needs to get back on track if the Elis are to win their final non-conference home game of the season.

The Bulldogs (3-8, 0-5 Ivy), who host Air Force (3-6) on Sunday, are looking to bounce back from their loss against Dartmouth, which saw a combined 31 goals.

[ydn-legacy-photo-inline id=”12286″ ]

Despite a strong offensive performance that saw four different Elis score three goals, the defense’s inability to pick up ground balls — especially during the second quarter, when Dartmouth scored five times — was a major reason for the defense’s struggles against the Big Green.

According to captain defenseman Pat Grimm ’08, the Bulldog defense will look to reverse this trend against Air Force.

“We need to focus on getting grounds balls on the defense end of the field,” Grimm said. “Longer possessions make it harder for us by giving our opponents second chances on goal.”

In last year’s matchup, a No. 18-ranked Bulldog team defeated The Falcons, 12-9, in San Diego. Air Force is coming off a close 11-10 loss against Quinnipiac last Sunday.

A strong performance Sunday will serve as a good tune-up for the Elis’ last Ivy League game of the year on April 26, when they welcome a certain team from Cambridge.