North Penn keeps improving, tops Boyertown 15-9

TOWAMENCIN >> North Penn’s boys lacrosse team has kind of developed the reputation of the Knights team that takes up space on the spring sports schedule, but doesn’t take up the highest spaces in the Suburban One League standings.

Until this year.

Boasting a something-to-prove attitude and a tireless work ethic, the Knights are suddenly relevant, having climbed into first place in the SOL’s Continental Division.

Saturday morning’s 15-9 win over Boyertown had no bearing on the SOL standings, but showcased exactly why the Knights are suddenly relevant in area circles.

Nick Keim led the way with five goals and an assist and Luke Homan and Reece Udinski each added three goals as North Penn notched the game’s first four goals, and never looked back.

“It all starts with Jake Diamond, our faceoff guy,” Keim said. “He’s winning a lot of draws, we’re moving the ball and getting good shots.

“Trying to be a good team that is winning games after not being very good for so long is something that’s always pushed us. We’ve been working so hard, we worked all through the summer. And now, to be in first place, has made all of that work worthwhile.”

Truth be told, the six-goal margin of victory could have been double figures if not for the play of Boyertown goaltender Gavin Yingling, who made 18 often-spectacular saves, while making himself an offensive threat.

Yingling had both an assist and a shot on goal in the contest.

“He was a turf monster,” said Boyertown head coach Sean Kooker. “He does everything for us. He makes our calls on defense, he runs everything back there.

“He is very special.”

The Bears recovered from their early deficit and, behind goals from Shane Clinton and Remi Brajkovich, halved their deficit before the end of the first quarter.

But the Knights picked up their attack again at the outset of the second period, taking an 8-3 lead before the Bears whittled it down to 9-5 at the break.

The Knights offense had a 3-0 run at the outset of the third quarter to stretch the advantage to 12-5 midway through the period.

Once again, the Bears rallied to within 12-7, and only a goal by Jake Diamond in the dying seconds of the quarter restored the Knights’ half-dozen goal lead.

North Penn pushed the lead to 15-7 in the first four minutes of the final period on goals by Keim and Eric Diamond, and only late tallies by Bears Christian Hellriegal and Clinton (with one second left on the clock) got Boyertown close.

“We had a lot of small stuff go wrong for us today,” Kooker said. “But I’m real proud of how we played.

“North Penn is very good and very well-coached. There are a few things we like to do, but we were only able to do them once today. Their coaches picked up on those things early on, and prevented us from doing them again.”

“I like where we are right now,” said North Penn head coach Rick Smith. “We’re gelling, we’re really gelling.”

NOTES >> All was not positive for the Knights, who lost Max Lehrman during the game with what Smith was calling, “a fractured clavicle.” … Boyertown was led by Chris Moccia’s three goals, while Clinton had two goals and three assists and both Brajkovich and Hellriegal had two goals.