Three SOL boys’ lacrosse team earned wins in the opening round of the District One Tournament on Tuesday. Check out all the results.
#5 Hatboro-Horsham 9, #28 Haverford 3
HORSHAM – This is the time of year when experience is invaluable and senior leadership is key.
After a slow start to Tuesday’s District One Tournament opener against 28th-seeded Haverford, the senior members of the Hatboro-Horsham boys’ lacrosse team helped make sure that the team would advance to play another game.
“Our focus was a little out of it in the first half,” said Hatters’ coach John Kurek. “The seniors, they came around, they got the guys together and they played a great second half.
“That’s the way these guys like to play. They play up-tempo, they played as a team, offense and defense. They played Hatters lacrosse that third quarter.”
Leading by the slimmest of margins at halftime, the Hatters netted four unanswered goals in the third quarter to turn a 3-2 lead at the break into a 7-2 advantage heading into the final period.
“We just stepped up on GBs (ground balls) and got our hustle back, got our legs underneath us,” said senior Pat Downing, who led the Hatter attack with four goals, including two in the third quarter.
And while the host Hatters pulled away, the stellar defensive unit held the Fords to one goal after the break, a tally late in the fourth quarter with the game already out of reach.
“Tenacious,” Downing said simply. “Our defense is tenacious.”
“I can’t say enough about the defense,” Kurek said. “They’re led by Dom DeFazio and Tyler Gelhaus, and those guys are like quarterbacks on the defense. The young guys listen to them. We’ve got a great keeper in Marc Poust. If he’s our last resort, I’ll take that last resort any day.”
Poust made 12 stops, Steve Palo won 11 of 16 faceoffs and Palo and DeFazio each scooped up eight ground balls as the Continental Conference co-champion Hatters improved to 16-2 on the season against a very potent Fords team.
“I told our guys, they’re a good team,” Kurek said of Haverford. “They play the Conestogas, the Garnet Valleys … they didn’t care who we were, they played hard. I give them credit.”
The Hatters’ side of the scoresheet was loaded with plenty of contributions from Durkins and Downings.
Pat Downing (Jake Durkin assist) netted the only goal of the first quarter. Durkin then assisted on his brother Jimmy Durkin’s first of two on the game. Trevor Downing (Jimmy Durkin assist) closed out the Hatter first-half scoring less than 70 seconds later.
Pat Downing (Trevor Downing assist) scored what would hold up to be the game-winner less than three minutes into the third quarter, followed by an unassisted tally by Jimmy Durkin. Pat Downing scored his third (Jake Durkin assist) before Jimmy Murphy broke up the family affair, scoring the Hatters’ seventh goal of the game (off an assist, naturally, from Jimmy Durkin). Pat Downing added his fourth on an unassisted goal early in the fourth quarter before Kyle Mullen scored the Hatters’ final goal on an assist from Dom DeFazio.
“It’s a big first win. We’re just looking to keep on going in the playoffs,” Pat Downing said. “You’ve got to play each game like it’s your last.”
With the victory, the Hatters will host a second-round matchup against 12th seed Penncrest at 7 p.m. Thursday.
“The big thing we have to understand is we have to be in good condition,” Kurek said. “Any team we play, they’re going to want to win just as much as we do. We have to be in the best of shape, mentally and physically.”
#6 Pennsbury 15, #27 Interboro 5
Pennsbury made quick work of Interboro in Tuesday's first-round District One Tournament matchup. The Falcons scored five goals in each of the first three periods, taking a 10-1 lead into halftime and rolling to a 15-5 victory.
"Our starters did a very good job," said Pennsbury coach Jamie Huber. "We've been starting slowly when we're going against a team we believe we should beat, so we wanted to get a quicker start this time, and we did. I talk to them before every game, but the seniors have all been there. They've had at least one home game every year they've been here and they know what to do. We can't play down to our opponent, we have to come out quickly.”
Andrew Probst led the National Conference champion Falcons with five goals, while Calvin Hopkins had four goals and three assists.
“Andrew was sick for two games,” Huber said of the recently selected First-Team All-Leaguers. “To see him bounce back and get back to 100 percent, and Calvin with four goals and three assists, is just amazing.”
Luke Matthews had a hat trick for the Falcons. Ryan McDonald, Colin Sullivan and Matt Anderson each scored once. John Conte and Sean McDonald each had one assist for Pennsbury, which outshot Interboro by a 43-18 count.
Drew Sweetland (four saves) and Phil Jutkiewicz (five saves) split time for the Falcons, who improve to 17-2 on the season and advance to the second round, where they will host 11th-seeded Garnet Valley, a 7-2 winner over 22nd seed Kennett in Tuesday’s first round.
#7 Abington 20, #26 Harriton 4
The Galloping Ghosts poured in eight first-quarter goals and never let up in posting a 20-4 victory over 26th seed Harriton in Tuesday’s District One first-round contest.
Matt Figueroa had five goals and an assist for the Ghosts. Hunter Jones (3 goals, 2 assists) and Ryan Ambler (2 goals, 3 assists) had five-point nights; Brian Gallagher scored a hat trick and added an assist; Matt Lomady scored twice and had one helper; Max Malloy had a goal and two assists; Joe Lomady had a goal and an assist; Will Dulin, Konrad Thallner, and Joe Bisaquino each added one goal; and Austin Pifani registered one assist.
The Ghosts were dominant on ground balls, with Malloy scooping up four ground balls; and Bisaquino, Pifani and Matt Lomady each picking up three.
Travis O’Connor was his usual solid self in goal, recording six saves for the Ghosts.
“We came out firing right away and we were up 3-0 before they had to take a time out,” said Abington coach Ryan Greer. “Konrad Thallner did a great job controlling faceoffs for us. Ryan Ambler had the offense moving the ball around. And Travis O’Connor locked everything down with Pisani and Chris Duffy.”
The Ghosts didn’t let a 40-minute delay due to inclement weather stop them, as they powered out to a 14-3 halftime lead. Abington improves to 14-5 overall and will host 10th seed West Chester Henderson (10-3 winners over 23rd seeded Strath Haven) in Thursday’s second-round game.
“You want to be playing your best lacrosse now, and we seem to be peaking at the right time,” Greer said. “We’re playing up-tempo, pushing the ball, being unselfish. We’re going to need to continue that, because we’re going to have a tough opponent in West Chester Henderson.”
#14 Plymouth Whitemarsh 8, #19 Avon Grove 7 (OT)
Corey Kelly scored his second goal of the game on his own rebound in overtime to cap off a dramatic rally as Plymouth Whitemarsh edged Avon Grove in Tuesday’s District One Tournament first-round matchup.
The Colonials trailed, 7-4, late in the third quarter before Kelly won a late faceoff and took it to goal in the final seconds. The Colonials added two more unanswered goals in the fourth, setting up Kelly’s overtime winner.
“We lost the faceoff in overtime, but our defense forced a turnover,” said PW coach Phil Chang. “Kelly was stoned on the first shot, but he got the rebound of his own shot and put it in.
“Corey is mentally tough kid. I got on him pretty hard in the first quarter for a defensive mistake. But he got tougher as the game went on. He made a great move to the cage in overtime, and only Corey would have gotten to that ground ball on the rebound.”
The Colonials trailed 6-4 at halftime, but allowed just one more goal the rest of the way.
“We made a lot of mental errors in the first half,” Chang said. “We were very unsettled. At halftime we gained our composure, and in the second half, we ran our defense like we know we can.
“We got a little overexcited at the start of the game. It was our first home playoff game, and the excitement got the better of us. But we battled all the way through.”
Kelly added an assist to go along with his two goals. Nick Swift had two goals and an assist; Jake Brown and Kevin Hennessy each scored twice; and Dylan Wixted added two assists. Andrew Sabia made 11 saves in goal for the American Conference champion Colonials, who improve to 14-3 for the season.
The Colonials will advance to the second round, where third-seeded Central Bucks East awaits. The 17-1 Patriots, co-champions of the Continental Conference, received a first-round bye.
“I told the kids, we didn’t win the Super Bowl today. Tomorrow it's right back to work, focus and be ready for Central Bucks East,” Chang said. “They're an outstanding team – well-coached, great talent on offense and defense, great goalie … it's going to be a challenge. We have to get prepared, be mentally focused, and we're going to give it our best effort on Thursday.”
#8 Radnor 12, # 25 Wissahickon 2
Wissahickon saw its season come to an end with a 12-2 loss to Radnor in Tuesday’s first-round matchup in the District One Tournament. Ben Junior’s five goals led a spread-out Radnor attack.
Pat Magdalinski scored both Trojan goals. Jack Myers made 15 saves in goal.
Wissahickon, which finished third in the American Conference, end the season at 9-10 overall.
#16 Springfield Delco 13, #17 Upper Dublin 6
Springfield Delco pulled away in the second half of Tuesday’s District One first-round game, turning a 4-3 halftime edge into a 13-6 victory to end Upper Dublin’s season.
Liam Duke led the Flying Cardinals with three goals. Michael Rama, Ben Winebrake and Leighton Young each added one goal for Upper Dublin, which ends the season at 13-5 overall.
In other games
#11 Garnet Valley 8, #22 Kennett 2
#12 Penncrest 11, #21 Holy Ghost Prep 5
#10 West Chester Henderson 10, #23 Strath Haven 3
#4 Ridley 13, #29 Perkiomen Valley 1
#15 Bishop Shanahan 13, #18 Owen J. Roberts 6
#9 Downingtown East 13, #24 Lower Merion 7
#20 Great Valley at #13 Spring-Ford (halted due to lightning. Game will resume Wednesday at 3 p.m.)
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