Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ lacrosse in action Tuesday. Neshaminy/Truman photos provided courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Check back for a gallery of photos.
SOL National Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 5, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 3
Matt Coverdale wasn’t kidding when he told his players that wins over archrival Central Bucks East have been few and far between. The Bucks last beat the perennial league and district powerhouse on April 13, 2016 (7-6). It was West’s only win over East in 16 games prior to Tuesday’s victory.
“We have all the respect in the world Central Bucks East’s program and the coaching staff over there,” Coverdale said. “They always seem to reload rather than rebuild. They are always a tall mountain to climb. They were last year’s Suburban One League champion. We always measure ourselves against a strong league opponent like Central Bucks East, who has a very storied history.
“I have to give my kids credit. They showed a ton of heart, a ton of passion. They wanted to go get it tonight. At the same time, while they were aggressive, they showed the discipline and composure to withstand the onslaught of the Central Bucks East offensive players. My hat’s off to my boys. They did a great job this evening.”
West’s defense turned in a heroic performance in a contest that saw the two teams combine for just eight goals with the Bucks’ defense allowing just one goal through the first three quarters.
“Going in, we knew the potential for CB East – they always have a high-powered offense,” Coverdale said. “They have a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball, so we knew we were going to have to be fast, we knew we were going to have to be physical in order to try and match up with the talent they have over there.”
Coverdale credited Hartford-bound Blake Ewaskey, who had five ground balls, for leading the defense.
“He’s our defensive captain,” the Bucks’ coach said. “He drew what we saw as their number one assignment, Ryan Stout, a senior attackman. Blake was all over the field making plays, creating turnovers.
“He was a big factor in the ride game and had a number of caused turnovers tonight, a number of ground balls that helped us capture a victory.”
Garrett Hitchens came up big at the X, winning 8 of 11 face-offs. He also contributed a goal.
“Garrett Hitchens was critical in our success tonight, winning the ball off the X and getting possessions,” Coverdale said. “He’s also a dynamite defensive midfielder, so he is kind of a throwback – a two-way midfielder in that he’s got a lot of the dimensions of being a midfielder with the toughness that’s needed on defense.
“Terrence Devlin is another kid that played midfield short stick for us as a defensive midfielder. They have a big kid, (Ryan) Eife, and he was matched up against him several times tonight. Both Garrett and Devlin had to limit his opportunities.”
Also playing a major role in the win was goalie Max Dunar, who came up with 12 saves – eight in the second half.
“He finished the night with 80 percent, giving up three goals to the East offense,” Coverdale said. “Max has been a stellar performer in the net for us, and he’s been a big factor in our success this year.”
Erik Ojert, the Bucks’ offensive captain, scored a pair of goals – both in the first half to send West into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
“Erik is a major initiator and sparkplug on our offense, and he really got our offense going in the beginning of the evening,” Coverdale said. “Any time that we get the ball late in the game and we have to hold possession, we put it in Erik’s stick. He’s elusive, he’s smart with great field vision.”
On a night when the Bucks’ defense stole the spotlight, Colin Baker also came up big, scooping up five ground balls.”
“He was scrambling all over the field, making plays on ground balls,” Coverdale said. “He had the matchup against (Ryan) Carroll, who’s a fast, shifty attackman with a great shot on offense. He and Stout make the one-two punch for the CB East offense.
“The team as a whole just played really well. To have the entire defense hold the East offense to three goals is a stellar effort by each and every one of them.”
The Bucks took a 5-1 lead into the final quarter after outscoring the Patriots 3-1 in the third quarter.
“A lot of credit goes to our defense and our goaltender,” Coverdale said. “Kids in the ride hustled really hard to deny them opportunities and to put pressure on them.”
Joining Ewaskey and Baker to comprise the Bucks’ stellar defense were senior Lucas Villalba and freshman Cam Wassmann.
Sophomore Jeff Woosnam ignited West’s 3-1 third quarter run with a goal, and then it was Hitchens finding the net. Connor Albrecht scored the final goal, using an Ewaskey assist.
For the Patriots, Jimmy Knepp had a pair of assists. Scoring one goal each were Stout, Matt Melendez and Ben Yerkes. Yerkes also had an assist. Carroll assisted on the Yerkes goal.
East goalie Liam Rosenthal had 13 saves to go along with one ground ball, and Evan Bullotta had three face-off wins.
Bulotta scooped up five ground balls while Melendez, Ryan Gray and Jake Kueny had two each. Contributing one ground ball were Stout, Knepp, Joe Beahan, Mark Lapioli, Andre Burnetta and Yerkes. Stout, Ryan Eife, Kueny, Drew Bethke, Beahan, Ryan Bullotta and Lapioli each had one caused turnover.
Central Bucks West (6-0, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Council Rock North on Friday, and Central Bucks East (3-3, 0-1) will host Neshaminy on Friday.
Central Bucks East 0-0-1-2 3
Central Bucks West 1-1-3-0 5
PENNSBURY 11, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 10 (OT)
The Falcons are displaying a definite flare for the dramatic this season. A week to the day after edging Archbishop Wood in overtime, they were back at it again – this time it was a Will Anderson goal on the Falcons’ initial possession in OT that propelled the Falcons to a conference win over the previously unbeaten Indians.
“Another walk-off overtime win,” coach Drew Artin said. “Not trying to sound arrogant, but I think we were like, ‘Okay, we’re ready to go, we’ve been here before. We know what to do.’ We were confident and comfortable and Will Anderson scored it.
“They’re a strong team, a well-coached team. They’ve got talented players up and down their roster. It was definitely a big test for us.”
It took some high drama and a goal by Nick Sutton in the game’s closing seconds to send the game to overtime.
“With 17 seconds left, we called a timeout and we regrouped and figured out the matchups we wanted and where we wanted every guy on the field,” said Artin, whose team trailed 9-8. “Nick Sutton ended up scoring. He wasn’t having a great day. He had two goals, but he’ll be the first to tell you he was having an off day for him.
“He got the ball and he shot it. It was almost exactly what I had planned and talked with them about on the sideline. We were calm, we were collected. We’re in a rebuilding year, so with the young guys we do have, it’s really nice to see the maturity they’re playing with.”
Key to the win was the 12-save effort of sophomore goalie Nico Cione.
“He made some phenomenal saves for us and played really well,” Artin said. “He saw limited playing time until this point and then just played through the whole game for us.
“I know the team rallied around him. He’s one of those guys we all cheer for even at practice. He just brings a lot of great energy. For him to play the game he had was really great. He’s just at the starting point of his career.”
Anderson led the Falcons’ attack with four goals and an assist.
“He’s really coming into his own this year and stepping up,” Artin said. “I’m really happy for how he’s been playing. He plays calm and collected throughout the game, never in a rush and never seems too pressured. He’s got ice in his veins.”
Jake Krefetz had another big night at the X, winning 13 of 18 face-offs. He also had six ground balls.
“Jake and Ryan DeZutel both do face-offs for us, and they’re a great one-two punch,” Artin said. “Jake has been doing really well. Ryan has been more of an offensive role for us as the season’s gone on. We’re lucky to have both of them.
“The face-off position is something we’ve always been trying to grow. We’re still working on it, but we’re certainly happy with the production we’re getting out of both of them.”
Avery Dysart added three goals and three assists, Sutton had a pair of goals and Colby Seneca had one goal and one assist. Jesse Keaton chipped in an assist.
“Colby Seneca has been fantastic in the clearing game and doing a lot of the dirty work,” Artin said. “Anyone that comes knowing they’re going to have their hands full every day and not necessarily get their names in the stat book, especially for high school kids – it’s tough to sell that to them, and Colby is really – ‘Whatever the team needs.’ We’re really lucky to have him.”
Bryse Raniello and Charlie Nuschke both scooped up four ground balls, and Will Cusick had three for the Falcons.
Pennsbury (6-3, 1-1 SOL) will travel to Pennridge on Friday, and Council Rock North (4-1, 0-1) will host Central Bucks West on Friday.
Council Rock North 0-3-4-3-0 10
Pennsbury 4-1-3-2-1 11
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 10, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 9
The Titans won their first conference game Tuesday with a 10-9 victory over the Golden Hawks.
The Titans got off to a slow start, falling behind 3-2 after one quarter. Their defense allowed just one goal over the next two quarters, and the Titans took an 8-4 lead into the final quarter. They opened the fourth quarter with a goal and stretched the lead to 9-4. The Golden Hawks put the pressure on in the fourth quarter and pulled to within 9-8, but the Titans answered to take a 10-8 lead. Penalties, according to CB South coach Mike Strayline, almost cost the Titans the game at the end, but they were able to hold on for a thrilling conference win.
Jack Reilly and Austin Novick (one assist) lead the way with three goals apiece. Dylan Grosso had a goal and two assists while Angus Ballantine had a goal and an assist. Adding one goal each were Colin Abbonizio and Maxwell Montrose. Chase Holley chipped in an assist.
Tyler Horvath battled once again at the X, winning12 of 23 face-offs. He also had five ground balls.
Defensive standouts Matt McDonald (three ground balls) and Christian Manibo had 2 forced turnovers each, and Colin Bernstein (nine saves, three ground balls) made some key saves down the stretch. Scooping up one ground ball each were Jack Cenci, Jonathan Robinson, Dylan McCrory (one forced turnover), Kian Watkins and Peter Routh.
The Golden Hawks, who had a chance to knot the score 9-9 late, were led by the three-goal efforts of Sean Kolimaga and Philip Mignacca. Chase Patterson added two goals and won 12 face-offs, and Sal Mastromarco had one goal. Dylan Homann recorded 10 saves. Kyle Gartenmayer scooped up five ground balls to lead the Hawks while Daniel Scannapieco added four ground balls.
Central Bucks South (4-3, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham Wednesday, and Council Rock South (3-2, 1-1) will host Quakertown on Wednesday.
Central Bucks South 2-3-3-2 10
Council Rock South 3-0-1-5 9
NESHAMINY 13, HARRY S TRUMAN 4
Jake Purdy scored five goals and assisted on another to lead the Redskins, and Joey DeMatteo had a hand in six goals, scoring twice and assisting on four others. Nick Donato added a goal and three assists while Ethan Roscoe had a goal and an assist. Contributing one goal each were Mason Toto, Charlie Potash, Brandon Pettola and Ryan Maher. Dawson Obringer had a pair of assists.
Coach John Donato credited the performances of several players in the win.
"Jake Purdy led the attack and ran the offense effectively," the Redskins' coach said. "Brian McGrody was solid in goal, turning back numerous Truman shots.
"Freshman Logan Backhaus played a strong game at LSM."
The Neshaminy coach also tipped his hat to his opponent.
"Truman played with heart and battled throughout," Donato said. "Mike Walczlak is a coach that loves the game, and that shows in his players.
"They hustle, play aggressive defense and get the best out of their skill players while always having fun. Truman is a program that deserves a great deal of admiration and respect."
Neshaminy (6-1, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks East on Friday, and Harry S Truman (0-3, 0-1) will host Council Rock South.
SOL American Conference
ABINGTON 9, HATBORO-HORSHAM 8 (OT)
Nate Rose turned a Dominic Ricciardi pass into the game-winner late in overtime, giving the Ghosts the dramatic win.
“We had an opportunity to score, but their goalie (Joe Brophy) made a great save,” coach Michael Duffy said. “They went down the other way.
“Sean Donahue, one of our defenders, made a good check on their player receiving a pass, and that caused them to turn the ball over out of bounds. We cleared the ball. They actually committed a penalty during our clear, so we went one man up.
“While we were man up, one of our players drove to the net and drew a second penalty, so we were two men up. We just moved the ball around for a few seconds, and Nate Rose found the open shot for the overtime win.”
The Ghosts led 6-4 at halftime only to watch the Hatters come roaring back to take an 8-7 lead with two minutes remaining. Dimitri Sarver’s goal with 26 seconds remaining in regulation knotted the score and set the stage for overtime.
Rose finished with two goals while Sarver had two goals and an assist. Marco McAfee led the Ghosts with three goals and an assist, and Alex Woll had one goal and two assists. Shawn McConnell added a goal and an assist, and Riccardi had one assist.
Mike Mulvihill made important contributions at the X.
“He did a great job – he won a lot of face-offs and won the overtime face-off for us,” Duffy said. “This is a huge win for us. Last year we beat them by one goal down to the wire in our stadium, and the same thing this year – one goal in their place.”
Ian Reilley’s four-goal effort led the Hatters, who also received a goal and an assist from Michael Brown. Adding one goal each were Jason Kleintz, Sam Fink and Danny Rusnak. Davis Wheeler had three ground balls. Brophy recorded seven saves in goal.
Abington (5-2, 2-0 SOL) will host Frankford in a non-league game Wednesday, and Hatboro-Horsham (1-6, 0-1) will host Central Bucks South on Tuesday.
WISSAHICKON 6, SOUDERTON 4
The Indians took a 3-1 lead into halftime, but the visiting Trojans controlled play in the second half, outscoring the Indians 5-1 to earn the conference win.
"The whole defensive unit stepped up in the second half, led by long poles Jake Reichard, Chase Ott, Max Gendelman and Quinn Fonash," Wissahickon coach Dan Layfield said. "We also got big games from our defensive mids Ryan Brown and Ethan Glass."
Harrison Williams and Michael Licata each scored a pair of goals to lead the Trojans. Owen Baim contributed a goal and an assist, and Brody Myers had one goal. Jackson Intrieri contributed a pair of assists, and EJ Schreiner chipped in an assist.
Matt Fritz had big night for the Trojans at the X, winning 11 of 13 face-offs.
For the Indians, Cole Witoslawski connected on four goals. Matt Rauch added a goal and an assist, and Brock Azeff also had a goal. Walker Martin contributed an assist.
"Souderton had a great game plan against us and shut us down in the first half," Layfield said. "We were able to make adjustments in the second half, and the team really did a great job battling adversity when things weren't going our way.
"As we grow as a team throughout the season, these type of games will make us stronger over the long run."
Souderton goalie Axell Beskar was credited with 12 saves.
Wissahickon (5-2, 1-0 SOL) will host Quakertown on Friday, and Souderton (4-2, 0-1) will travel to Abington on Friday.
Wissahickon 1-5 6
Souderton 3-1 4
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 9, UPPER DUBLIN 8 (OT)
The Spartans picked up their second win in as many conference games, using a Nic Pugliese game-winner in Tuesday’s overtime thriller. Pugliese was one of four players contributing a pair of goals. Brennan Fluehr, Paul Richardson and Wilson Krewson also each had a pair of goals, and Trey DuBose added a single goal.
Krewson’s goal late in the first half sent the Spartans into halftime with a 4-3 lead.
“Dylan Donnelly did a great job on defense,” Spartans coach Hank Resch said. “Paul Asman, our goalie, had a great game.”
Springfield Township (5-2, 2-0 SOL) will travel to Lower Merion for a non-league game on Saturday, and Upper Dublin (2-5, 1-1) will host Upper Moreland on Friday.
Upper Dublin 3-5-0 8
Springfield Twp 4-4-1 9
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