CB East advanced to Tuesday’s District One semifinals and also earned a berth in the state tournament with a dramatic 12-11 overtime win over top-seeded Garnet Valley Saturday.
BRYN MAWR – As a jubilant Central Bucks East lacrosse team broke out of its postgame huddle at midfield after Saturday’s heartstopping 12-11 overtime win over top-seeded Garnet Valley, Bruce Garcia had a message for his players.
“Do not rush off the field – look around, remember this,” the Patriots’ coach said.
The win – which not only vaulted the Patriots into Tuesday’s District One semifinal but also guaranteed the squad a berth in states – was indeed one to savor.
“How many days do you get like this?” Garcia said. “Why rush off this field. What is the sense of urgency?
“Take this in, bottle it up, go home with it – pour it out six months from now. Twenty years from now, pull it out of your pocket. Remember that feeling, that euphoria you had. Here it is. Not too many people get this feeling. That’s why we coach.”
And this is why they play.
For magical moments like the Patriots had in a riveting overtime that began rather ominously with Daniel Lanham winning yet another face-off.
The mood would change in a hurry.
Granted, it didn’t look promising when – after the Patriots fought off the Jaguars’ initial shot attempt – East lost possession, setting the stage for a two-on-one that saw Denny Nealon on the receiving end of a pass and firing a shot at point blank range.
Sean McGovern – outstanding in goal all day – stonewalled Nealon with a brilliant save that will find its way on every highlight reel of a memorable postseason.
“I’m the calmest in overtime, which is kind of weird,” said the Patriots’ senior goalie, who turned away 17 shots. “I find my zone. I’m watching the ball, I’m watching for the shot. I’m ready for anything, so when I see them ready to shoot, I’m ready to pounce on the ball.”
McGovern’s save was a game changer.
“I had no hope that he was going to save that,” teammate Mike Vetter said. “It was one-on-one, and he saved it. It gave us a lot of momentum.”
Riding the emotion of that stop, the Patriots – after a timeout – set up their offense, and with 2:09 remaining in the first overtime period, it was Vetter finding the back of the net with a powerful shot from long range to give the Patriots the dramatic win.
“Matt probably has the best shot on our team, so I have all the faith in him,” said McGovern. “Whenever he takes a shot, I’m prepared for it to go in.
“I’m just waiting for him to do his thing.”
“It’s exciting,” said Vetter, who led the Patriots with four goals and one assist. “I’ve never been to the state tournament before, so it was fun having the goal that sent us there.
“We’re just going to take it one game at a time. We have a few tough teams ahead of us, so we’re going to study hard on the game film and hopefully take them down.”
Early on, there was nothing to suggest the Patriots would be decided in OT. The Patriots got on the board with 11:08 remaining in the first quarter when Vetter scored, using a Jack Auteri assist. They led 3-1 after one quarter and upped that lead to 5-1 before the Jaguars trimmed that advantage to 7-5 at halftime.
It was a 10-9 game after three quarters, and the Jaguars knotted the score at the 8:14 mark. East took an 11-10 lead when Ryan Brown connected with 3:11 remaining in the fourth quarter. Eight seconds later, Lanham scored off the draw, setting the stage for overtime and the unforgettable win that propelled the Patriots into the district semis and the state tournament.
“We were so close last year – we lost to the state champs in overtime,” said McGovern of East’s 13-12 loss to Penncrest in the quarterfinals. “This year is all about revenge. We’re back to get our share.”
East will face fourth-seeded Springfield-Delco in a district semifinal game Tuesday at West Chester Henderson at 6 p.m. In the 4 p.m. contest, sixth-seeded Radnor will take on 10th-seeded Conestoga as the Patriots will crash an otherwise all-Central League final four.
“We know that sometimes we have a sense that we aren’t welcome to this party, maybe we aren’t invited to this party,” Garcia said. “We’re that ride that was in the backseat, and all of a sudden we showed up.
“Nobody felt like driving us home, so we stayed at that party. We’re going to make sure everyone understands that we’re here to stay here. They’ve got a legacy for those fifth graders and sixth graders and eighth graders that are coming up and following in the program.
“It’s not about supremacy. It’s about competition, and it’s about life. Every day is a challenge.
EXTRA SHOTS: Saturday’s win was the second overtime win in as many games for the Patriots, who defeated eighth-seeded Avon Grove by an identical 12-11 score on Thursday….In addition to Vetter, Ryan Brown had three goals and one assist, and Owen Griffin had three goals. Matt Brown had a pair while Logan Nelson, Auteri and Mike Eveland each had one assist…Eveland had a big day defensively, finishing with seven ground balls and two caused turnovers. Bryan McIntosh had a team-high four caused turnovers and one ground ball while Dustin Buchanan had two forced turnovers and two ground balls. Matt Brown and David Gressgott both had two ground balls. Vetter, Kevin D’Andrea, Nelson, Austin Prime, Griffin and Nick Yerkes each had one ground ball. Adding one caused turnover each were D’Andrea, Griffin, Prime, Vetter and Auteri. “It is great when you look at 38 guys on that bench, and I can’t say to any one of them that we needed any one of them – we needed every one of them,” Garcia said. “We played collectively, so when you watch a lacrosse game and you can honestly look at it and say not any one of them stood out and you win those events – that’s a great thing. It means they all intertwined, they all worked together. It’s a great feeling.”
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