Check out the results for SOL boys’ lacrosse teams in action Tuesday. Photos of the PW/Norristown game are provided courtesy of Kim Supko. Please check back for a full gallery of that game.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 6, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 5 (OT)
Fans of fantastic finishes had to love Tuesday’s conference showdown between the neighboring rivals at War Memorial Field. The Titans found themselves staring at a 5-2 deficit midway through the fourth quarter but rallied to knot the score in dramatic fashion when Ian Vogt found the back of the net with 13 seconds remaining in regulation.
“We had possession of the ball,” said coach Mike Strayline. “I called a timeout with 30 seconds, and I kind of got them to calm down.
“We drew up a play for Evan Falkowski, and I told them, ‘If you don’t have it, don’t take it.’ We had a great opportunity, and he got stick checked. The ball came out, and Dante Poli picked up the ball and saw Ian wide open on the crease and hit him right on the stick, and he put it in the back of the net. You couldn’t draw it up any better. It was a broken play, but it worked out for us.”
In the first overtime period, senior Joe Vitelli won the all-important face-off, prompting Strayline to call another timeout.
“I told them we needed one quality possession to get the game-winning goal and then let’s get out of here,” the Titans’ coach said. “We got the guys set up in our offense, we moved the ball.
“We got a really good possession, and Joe Vitelli went to dodge, and as he was dodging, he tried to make a pass to Ian on the crease, and he actually made a bounce pass in the front. As the ball bounced and hit the ground, Ian caught the ball on the crease right in front of the net and went high-low and put the ball in the back of the net, and we were charging the goal.”
It was Vogt’s second game-winner of the season – he also scored the winning goal in the Titans’ 9-8 double overtime win over North Penn. Vogt wasn’t the only player to come up big for the Titans. Brad Ross recorded 11 saves in goal.
“He made some amazing saves,” Strayline said. “He has had a few games where he’s given up some goals he shouldn’t have, but tonight he made every save that he had to make.
“For us to hold them to five goals – they have been beating teams by five, six, seven goals, and for our defense to step up like that and really protect Brad – he made 11 saves, and they were all key saves. That kept us in the game and gave us an opportunity.”
The win was the sixth in the last seven games for the suddenly streaking Titans.
“The kids put a lot of work in the offseason – they took a lot of time this year,” Strayline said. “We changed a lot of things around with how we built the program the past few years, and they really started to buy into what I’d been preaching about the depth we need so we can win these games.
“We can’t just go with one great player or two great players, we need everybody. As the season has progressed – we took our lumps, and we’re getting better for it at the end of the season. That’s the key. We have the opportunity now to make the playoffs. We have a tough one tomorrow against Downingtown East, but I think we put ourselves in a pretty good position to make the playoffs, and we’re peaking at the right time.”
In addition to Vogt, who also had an assist, Vitelli scored two goals while Falkowski added two goals and an assist. Poli and Austin Novick each had an assist.
South had 23 ground balls with three from both Steve Nowelski and Poli. Ross, Vitelli, Mike Dutkiewicz, Noah Mokrynchuk, and Connor Grant each had two. Justin Abbonizio, Austin Novick, Ian Vogt, Jake Lautt, Jake Palfryman, Chris Surina, and Andrew Baer all had one.
The Titans went 10-of-14 at the face-off X. Mokrynchuk went 6-for-10 and Vitelli went 4-for-4, which included the face-off in OT.
“We switched from Noah Mokrynchuk to Joe Vitelli, and it was about ground balls at that point,” Strayline said. “Noah is a second-year player but does an amazing job.
“We went with Joe because he’s a guy we count on for every ground ball. He got us those possessions we needed to get back in the game. Joe and Evan – as far as the seniors on offense – they carry us right now. We go as they go, and they defer to other guys. It’s not just them scoring. They do other things too.”
The Bucks received single goals from Will Ross, Joey Rockovich, Dawson Gable, Brandon Gervais and Shane Early. Gervais and Jake Greenberg each had one assist.
Noah Hill was credited with 14 saves in goal for the Bucks. Andrew Santacecillia won 6-of-12 face-offs. Nick Werner led the Bucks with six ground balls while Rockovich had five. Ben Sexauer and Tim Kiel each had three.
Central Bucks South (9-8, 5-7 SOL) will host Downingtown East in an important non-league game on Wednesday night, and Central Bucks West (12-5, 7-4) will host Hatboro-Horsham in a key conference game on Thursday night.
Central Bucks South 1-1-0-3-1 6
Central Bucks West 1-1-2-1-0 5
NESHAMINY 5, ABINGTON 4
The Ghosts opened up a 2-0 lead after one quarter and still led 2-1 at halftime of a contest that was highlighted by the respective defenses. The two teams were deadlocked 3-3 after three quarters, and the ‘Skins scored a pair in the fourth quarter to eke out the 5-4 win.
“It was a great, close game throughout,” Abington coach Peter Burns said. “Both teams played really hard and physical. It was an ‘old school’ defensive battle.”
Burns went on to credit Connor Sullivan and Hayden O’Hara for leading the Ghosts’ defense. Goalie Connor Reed’s 17 saves also kept the Ghosts in it.
Nick Donato scored a pair of goals for the Redskins, who also received a goal and two assists from Mason Zeberlein. Jeremy Sheley and Ryan Maher added single goals. Luke Servarini added an assist. Goalie Anthony Bickle was credited with seven saves in the win.
Neshaminy (5-2 SOL) is closing out its season with six games in six days this week, and the Redskins will travel to neighboring Pennsbury on Wednesday. Abington (3-14, 3-7) will host Garnet Valley on Friday in a non-league game.
Neshaminy 0-1-2-2 5
Abington 2-0-1-1 4
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 12, SOUDERTON 2
The Patriots clinched sole possession of the SOL Continental Conference title with Tuesday’s win. It is the third straight year they have won at least a share of the conference crown, this one coming on the heels of last year’s co-championship with Central Bucks South.
Owen Griffin led a balanced attack with three goals and one assist. Logan Nelsen, Ryan Schmidt and Ryan Brown each had two goals. Nelsen also had a pair of assists. Adding one goal each were Nick Yerkes, Mike Ott and Quinn MacKenzie. Grant Porter had one assist.
Ott won 9-of-16 face-offs. Liam Rosenthal (five saves) and Henry Ruddell (four saves) combined for the win in goal.
Connor Larkin had five ground balls to lead the Patriots while Bryan McIntosh had three. Griffin, Schmidt and Quinn MacKenzie each had two, and adding one each were Joe Thiroway, Nelsen, Mike Circuit and Mike Gresko. Thiroway, McIntosh, Owen Debuque and Gresko all had one forced turnover.
Souderton received single goals from Cory Azeff and Trent Breneman while Jake Phaup had a pair of assists. Phaup was 9-of-18 on face-offs.
Souderton goalie Tyler Asbury was credited with 12 saves.
Central Bucks East (12-4, 10-2 SOL) will host Downingtown West in a non-league contest on Wednesday to close out its regular season. Souderton closed out its season with a 3-15 record overall (0-12 SOL).
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 16, NORRISTOWN 5
The Colonials celebrated Senior Night with a no-doubt-about-it win. They led 4-0 after one quarter and took an 8-1 lead into halftime. The Eagles never threatened.
Austin Betterly led the Colonials with six goals and one assist. Alex Savarese connected for the hat trick while Jake Kelly and Brendan Sullivan each added two goals. Kelly also had one assist. Contributing one goal each were Vincent Marchozzi, Zack Zygmunt and Ben Billings. Vincent Martina and Kenny Diamond each had three assists.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (11-4, 11-2 SOL), which has locked down second place in the SOL American Conference standings, will close out its regular season with a road game at Springfield Township on Wednesday.
Norristown 0-1-2-2 5
Plymouth Whitemarsh 4-4-3-5 16
UPPER MERION 9, UPPER MORELAND 8
Josh Reinhardt scored four goals, and Will Borkowski had two goals and one assist to lead the Vikings' attack. Nick Freda was a force all over the field, contributing two goals and one assist. He also had 14 ground balls and won 12-of-16 face-offs. Connor Stutzman had one goal, three assists and three caused turnovers. Collin Ginsburg had two assists, won 3-of-4 face-offs and had a pair of caused turnovers. CJ Rose added an assist and one takeaway. Goalie Johnny Salamy was credited with eight saves and three takeaways in the win.
The Vikings trailed 3-2 afer one quarter and 6-3 at halftime but outscored the Golden Bears 6-2 in the second half to earn the hard fought win.
Upper Merion closed out its season with an 8-6 mark in SOL play (9-9 overall). Upper Moreland (5-10, 3-9) will host Cheltenham on Thursday.
Upper Merion 2-1-4-2 9
Upper Moreland 3-3-0-2 8
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 5, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 4
WISSAHICKON 19, CHELTENHAM 3
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