Nation’s top-ranked team knocks off La Salle
SPRINGFIELD — If Wednesday afternoon’s contest against the country’s top-ranked boys lacrosse team was a challenge for a young La Salle team, consider that challenge met.
No, the Explorers did not upset the Fords, but neither were they overwhelmed.
The Haverford School, playing on consecutive days following an Inter-Academic League victory over Penn Charter Tuesday, were clearly the better team, as its 12-7 victory would indicate.
But the Explorers never backed down, battled to the end and never were close to being humiliated.
“Hey, we battled,’ said Explorers head coach Bill Leahy. “We have a sophomore and two freshmen on attack and two more freshmen on defense.
“They were 15-year-olds going up against a quality team with 22 seniors, and it was a war.’
The Fords flexed their muscles early, grabbing a 5-1 lead in the first period after one as Grant Ament notched a pair of goals and Phil Poquie, Keyveat Postell and Dox Aitken netted a goal apiece.
Haverford seemed to have the contest well in hand, especially in the faceoff circle, where the Fords won all 11 first-half draws.
And as one Explorers assistant coach pointed out, “It’s tough to beat the No. 1 team in the country when you’re playing make it, take it.’
But La Salle kept plugging. And when Aidan Kerrigan scored in the final eight seconds of the first quarter, the Explorers were energized.
n fact, La Salle netted two of the second quarter’s three goals and trailed only 6-4 at the half.
“It’s not like we were ever really out of it,’ Leahy said. “We competed, which is all you can ask from a young team playing against a better team.’
La Salle’s spunk, and an official’s call that went against his team early in the second quarter clearly put a burr in the saddle of Fords head coach John Nostrant, who received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and was threatened with expulsion from the game.
Haverford revved it up again in the third quarter, and goals by Forry Smith, Drew Supinski and Lane Odom gave the Fords a 9-4 lead midway through the period.
But again, the Explorers wouldn’t fold, and Kerrigan made it 9-5 before period’s end.
The Fords would win the final period, although the Explorers never appeared to be in over their collective heads.
“I thought we played all right,’ said Explorers attack Brett Baskin. “We played hard, everyone battled.
“They’re just really skilled across the board.
“We’re a young team, and even though we didn’t win, we took a step in the right direction.’
END LINES: Haverford outshot La Salle, 40-23. … Haverford goaltender Alex DeMarco had eight saves, while La Salle netminder Conor Scafidi had 12. … Haverford won the faceoff battle, 17-4. … Smith, Supinski, Odom and Ament all finished with two goals. La Salle got two goals from Kerrigan and single talllies from Joe Bornham, Cody Mazurek, Kohler Setley, Zach Drake and Baskin.
