Upper Merion’s uses balanced attack to take down Norristown

WEST NORRITON — The days of big-time, all-eyes-on scorers like Nate Hare, Mikey Zadroga and Trevor Kupecky are gone.

This year’s Upper Merion High boys lacrosse team is low on solo star power.

But the Vikings are hoping that six scorers are more potent than one or two superstars.

Their season-opening, 15-2 win over host Norristown Monday followed a formula the team wants to repeat – get everybody involved in the offense, force defenders to guard six attackers as opposed to a single standout and win with a swarm rather than single stings.

“I think everybody on the starting six (on offense) had points,’ said Vikings head coach Brady McCormick. “That’s what we want, ball movement, with everyone getting a chance to score.’

“I like the team moving the ball more,’ said Vikings Will Borkowski, who had three goals and an assist. “It’s giving everybody an opportunity to score.’

With the weather making practice sessions dicey, at best, neither side was anywhere close to midseason form.

The Vikings got goals from Tyler Thornton and Borkowski to lead, 2-0, after one quarter, then added five more goals to lead by a touchdown at halftime.

The Eagles were game, but with just seven players with varsity experience coming back to the team this year, the expectations are understandably low.

“With so few kids with experience, we’re just trying to get the fundamentals down,’ said Eagles head coach Tom Pierantozzi. “Our kids aren’t getting a chance to play until ninth grade, and for the most part they’re playing hard doing what we ask of them.’

Norristown got a shot in the arm when Efrain Guzman scored just 43 seconds into the second half. But by quarter’s end the Vikings had stretched their lead to 12-1, and less than a minute into the fourth quarter, the two sides were playing with a running clock.

“Offensively, I was encouraged,’ McCormick said. “We actually came out and started strong.

“Over the last couple of years we’ve come out lackadaisically to start games. But today I felt we came out and got it going right away.’

Justin Byrd’s rocket shot past Vikings goaltender Troy Minnich early in the fourth quarter would turn out to be the Eagles’ final highlight.

Upper Merion, meanwhile, was encouraged by its opener, and looking ahead to the season.

“We’ve probably only practiced together for about a week,’ Borkowski said, “but if we continue working together we feel we can go somewhere.’

Pierantozzi, however, had a different view on his Eagles team.

“Honestly, by year’s end I just want to see us improve,’ he said, “and to minimize the mistakes.

“We’re not worried about wins and losses right now. If we take care of the things we need to do, the wins and losses will take care of themselves.’

LAX TAX-ONS: Tyler Thornton led the Vikings with three goals and four assists, while Paulie Salamy added four goals and Borkowski and Steve Ferguson had three goals and an assist apiece. … Tuesday’s Norristown-Upper Dublin game, originally scheduled for the Eagles turf, has been moved to Upper Dublin to avoid a conflict with a Norristown track meet that is scheduled for the same time.