Pennsbury High School Boys Lacrosse

Fairless Hills, PA

May 1, 2010



It was a battle of rivals and it was a battle between friends and former youth lacrosse teammates, and the Pennsbury Falcons and the Holy Ghost Firebirds never play harder than when they play each other. On this day, the Pennsbury Falcons outlasted the Firebirds to claim this year's bragging rights by a “thisclose” 10-9 score. Pennsbury held the statistical lead in face-offs at 18 of 24, but every other category was virtually equal: shots, 37 to 35 Pennsbury, turnover 17-12 in favor of Holy Ghost. But the most telling stat was probably saves, with Pennsbury's Drew Sweetland saving 19 to Andrijko Andrusko's 18 – the single save representing the difference in the final score.



Pennsbury jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in the first quarter on goals by middie Shawn Caven and middie Ricky Jutkiewicz (assisted by attack Calvin Hopkins). HGP got on the board with a goal by middie Jeremy Omrod (assisted by attack Andrew Cacchio), but the Falcons put two more goals on the board in response, this time by attack Josh Caven (assisted by his brother Shawn) and middie Tim Considine (assisted by Jutkiewicz). HGP brought the score back in reach at 4-2 with a goal by attack Colin Becker (assisted by Dan Wunder). The high scoring first period continued with goals by Pennsbury's Evan Caterson (assisted by Tim Considine), HGP's Omrod (assisted by Nick Moses), PHS's Tim Considine, and two goals by HGP's Nick Moses, bringing the first quarter score to 6-5 Pennsbury.



The second quarter repeated the pattern of the first, with Pennsbury moving ahead and Holy Ghost fighting back. The Falcons struck first with goals by attackmen Calvin Hopkins and Josh Caven (assisted by middie Ryan McDonald) to extend their lead to 8-5, but the Firebirds struck back with two goals of their own by Kevin Moses (assisted by John Motto) and Colin Becker (assisted by Nick Moses). Pennsbury brought the lead back to two just before half-time on an unassisted goal by Jutkiewicz, putting the halftime tally at 9-7 Pennsbury.



In the second half, the game changed from a wide-open offensive display by both teams to a grind-it-out war of attrition as the heat and pace of the game took its toll. The Firebird defense stepped up and began clogging the middle, where Pennsbury had been making its living on inside passing. While HGP was shutting down the prolific Falcon offense, they were able to work the ball in for two goals in the period – first by Andrew Cacchio (assisted by Motto) and an unassisted goal by middie Sam Johnson – which tied up the game at 9-9 entering the fourth quarter.



This is where it became a war. Both defenses refused to relent and held the other at bay, until Falcon middie Pat “Moose” Bonnot came out of a scrum at midfield and beat the pack to the net, where he drew the slide and passed off to Josh Caven, who buried the shot past Andrusko for the 10-9 lead with 4:40 to go in the game. Pennsbury's Evan Caterson won the subsequent face-off and then the Falcons put on a clinic on how to freeze the ball, keeping possession for over 4 and a half minutes and sealing the win.



Pennsbury was led by Ricky Jutkiewicz (2g, 1a), Tim Considine (2g, 1a), Josh Caven (3g), Calvin Hopkins (1g, 1a) and Shawn Caven (1g, 1a). Holy Ghost was led by NickMoses (1g, 2a), Kevin Moses(2g), Colin Becker (2g), Jeremy Omrod (2g), and Andrew Cacchio (1g, 1a).



The win puts PHS at 13 – 1 for the year and 6-1 in the Suburban One National conference, while the Holy Ghost Firebirds are 9-4 on the year, playing and independent schedule.





Box Score

Team
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Final

Pennsbury
6
3
0
1
10

Holy Ghost (home)
5
2
2
0
9




Goals:

Pennsbury – 10; Josh Caven 3; Ricky Jutkiewicz 2; TimConsidine 2; Shawn Caven 1; Calvin Hopkins 1; Even Caterson 1.



Holy Ghost - 9; Kevin Moses 2; Colin Becker 2; Jeremy Omrod 2; Nick Moses 1; Andrew Cacchio 1; Sam Johnson 1.



Assists:

Pennsbury - 6; Pat Bonnot 1; Shawn Caven 1; Tim Considine 1; Calvin Hopkins 1; Ricky

Jutkiewicz 1; Ryan McDonald 1.



Holy Ghost – 6; Nick Moses 2, John Motto 2, Andrew Cacchio 1, Dan Wunder 1.



Shots:

Pennsbury 37, Holy Ghost 35



Saves:

Drew Sweetland 19 (Pennsbury) , Andrijko Andrusko (Holy Ghost) 18



Record:

Pennsbury (13-1), Holy Ghost (9-4)