Upper Dublin defeated Avon Grove 12-7 on Thursday at West Chester Henderson to capture the program’s first ever District One title. Photos provided courtesy of Lene White.
#3 UPPER DUBLIN 12, #1 AVON GROVE 7
WEST CHESTER – “This is your year, Upper Dublin.”
That simple phrase by the public address announcer at J. Oscar Dicks Stadium after the Flying Cardinals’ no-doubt-about-it win over top-seeded Avon Grove in Thursday’s district title game pretty much said it all.
The win gave the Cardinals their program’s first ever district crown, bringing some hard-earned respect to not only the program but also the Suburban One League.
“The key thing is these kids believe in each other,” coach Dave Sowers said. “That’s what it comes down to.
“Our chemistry right now is kicking. We have sophomores in there – you’re looking at Dylan Lojeski, our sophomore goalie, you’re looking at Max Winebrake, you have Nick Sowers out there as a sophomore defenseman and you have Jerry Bardol.
“What these seniors have done to bring the younger kids along and give them the confidence – that’s really the key. Our chemistry is great, and they never get too high and they never get too low. Our kids just play.”
While this was brand new territory for the Cardinals, who had never advanced beyond the district quarterfinals until this year, they looked the part of a team that had been down this road before. Even their celebration was relatively subdued, but there was no mistaking the immense pride they were feeling after fulfilling a dream.
“It’s unreal,” senior Michael Sowers said. “You start tasting it throughout youth lacrosse.
“Playing together everyone used to say, ‘Wait until senior year, wait until senior year – we’re going to get there.’ After that loss to ‘Stoga last year (by one goal in a second round game), I think it really made everybody look themselves in the mirror and say ‘Why are we playing and what are we playing for?’ To work so hard in the offseason with the coaches, with stick skills – we really started all the way back in December, so this was the goal, and to get here is awesome.”
“We’ve just been coming out to practice each and every day ready to work,” senior Michael Mullen added. “It’s just paid off, and it’s literally the greatest feeling.”
The Cardinals were poised and in control in Thursday’s title game. Avon Grove won the opening draw, but there was no panic. A Ben Abel takeaway set the stage for Mullen turning a pass from Jack Rapine into an early goal and a 1-0 UD lead.
“We all knew we had it down deep inside – it was just a matter of making the right plays and just doing everything right,” Mullen said.
An unassisted goal by Sowers put the Cardinals on top 2-1, but the Red Devils reeled off three straight goals to go on top 4-2 in the opening minute of the second period. Again showing no signs of panic, the Cardinals outscored Avon Grove 5-1 the remainder of the half, a stretch that began with an unassisted goal by Sowers and was capped by a Nick Vernacchio goal with 1:42 remaining until halftime after a takeaway on the defensive end.
“That was huge,” Mullen said. “In any game, just to get to that point before the half is just a momentum swing. Things started going our way, and that was one of the plays that really turned the game around.”
Also included in the Cards’ run were goals by Max Winebrake (Bardol assist), Evan Scott (Sowers assist) and another at the end of a marvelous passing sequence from Vernacchio to Bardol to Mullen for the score.
“It think it was honestly just giving a maximum effort,” Scott said. “Obviously, it’s probably the hottest day of the year and even hotter on the turf.
“You just have to stay focused. When they threw punches, we threw back, and just being able to settle down and play our game along with maximum effort pushed us to the top.”
The Red Devils would get no closer than two the rest of the way, and if there was a defining moment in the game, it might well have been with time winding down in the third quarter when it looked for all the world as though the Cards – who led by two – wouldn’t get a shot off.
“Michael, you’ve got to do something with it buddy,” someone shouted from the Upper Dublin sidelines.
They needn’t have worried.
Michael Sowers threaded the needle and somehow found Vernacchio for a goal at the buzzer, giving the Cardinals a 10-7 lead.
“Any time you can get a quick one like that at the end of the (period), it always swings momentum,” said Sowers, who finished with two goals and four assists. “To have momentum going into the fourth quarter is something we worked for. I think that really swung the game.”
If the goal stunned the Red Devils, Vernacchio’s teammates were equally surprised.
“Back on defense – we were like, ‘Whoa,’” said senior Jack Rapine. “We thought the quarter was over, and we were about to head in, and he made an amazing play on a good feed from Mike. It was unbelievable.”
The Red Devils were never heard from again while the Cardinals tacked on a pair of goals with Winebrake connecting for his second and Vernacchio finding the net for the fourth time. Dylan Lojeski (nine saves) had several big stops in the period, and a district title – dreamed about and worked for – belonged to the Cardinals.
“I think it’s our mentality this year of working as hard as we can,” Rapine said. “Also, I think our senior leadership is amazing.
“We have so many seniors on this team, and we push our younger guys and we lead everyone through tough times or good times, and that’s a lot of the reason why I think we’re so successful.”
“We push each other to the limit at practice,” senior Rockwell “Rocky” Wright said. “We get in each other’s faces, and that’s the way you’ve got to play in a game.
“That’s the only way we can win – just through hard practice, and that translates to the field. We always support each other. When somebody messes up, they don’t really mess up – we’ve always got their backs. It’s a team effort.”
For a good number of players, this was their second history-making district title run, coming on the heels of the football program’s first district championship last fall.
“This is number two,” Scott said. “I’m not stopping at two – I want a state championship. It’s an indescribable feeling.”
“It feels amazing,” Wright said. “To do it in football and now for lacrosse with Mr. Sowers who pushed us to new heights – he got us this with the hard work and pushing us at a young age to play lacrosse. He basically brought us all together.”
With the win, the Cardinals avenged the second of their two regular season losses to Avon Grove. This one was for the big prize.
“I think what it means – when you work hard in life, good things will happen,” coach Sowers said. “It’s that simple.
“This group is talented, but all their talent came from the amount of work they put in. They’re playing the travel teams in the middle of summer when everyone is down at the shore. When you have kids buying into that and now the community is buying in…”
Sowers didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to.
Upper Dublin (20-2, 14-0 SOL) will face District 3’s third place team in the opening round of states on Wednesday.
“We have a couple days in between with this weekend, and once we get out on the field, we’re going to go as hard as we can,” Rapine said. “I think we’ll be ready to go.”
Upper Dublin 2-5-3-2 12
Avon Grove 3-2-2-0 7
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