Mullen’s 6 goals help Upper Dublion dunk Wissahickon

UPPER DUBLIN >> In weather best suited for ducks wearing parkas, the Upper Dublin boys lacrosse team moved one step closer to an unbeaten Suburban One League American Conference title with a rain-soaked, 15-3 verdict over Wissahickon Friday night.

Michael Mullen scored six goals, Nick Vernacchio added three goals and an assist and Michael Sowers had a goal and four assists as the Cardinals built a 10-1 lead by late in the third quarter and hydroplaned to the win.

“We came out and had to get through that rainstorm, but we were still able to run our offense,” said Cardinals head coach David Sowers. “Wissahickon played hard to the end, as they always do, but we were able to do enough to win.”

The Cardinals grabbed a 3-0 lead after one quarter as two goals by Mullen and another by Conor Wall put the home team in front to stay.

Mullen stretched the lead to 4-0 early in the second quarter before Eric Kaufmann put the Trojans on the board at the 8:59 mark.

But the rest of the half was all Cardinals, as Sowers and Mullen sent the home team into an oceanic halftime up by 6-1.

“Upper Dublin is a very good team,” said Trojans head coach Dan Layfield. “We came out with some tenacity, but you make a mistake with them, and the ball is in your net.”

While the Cardinals offense impressed, so did Cardinals goalkeeper Dillon Lojeski, who made at least three 10-bell saves as the Trojans buzzed in the Upper Dublin end.

“Dillon is getting stronger as the season goes on,” Sowers said. “We don’t even consider him a sophomore anymore.
“He works hard, he cares and he wants to get better.”

With Lojeski shutting down the Trojans, the Cardinals kept scoring, and two goals by Nick Vernacchio and single goals by Jack Rapine and Jerry Bardol blew the lead up to 10-1 before the teams traded goals to end the third quarter.

Up nine, the Cardinals eased to the win behind goals by Mullen and Max Winebrake, which stretched the lead to 13-2 with 8:49 left in the fourth quarter.

Goals by Wall and Vernacchio brought about the running clock with 4:11 left in the game.

“The last time we played them we only scored two goals, so we’re getting a little better,” Layfield said. “But we’re going to the playoffs, so we have to be happy about that.”

LAX-ENDS: Along with the output of Mullen, Sowers and Vernacchio, the Cardinals got two goals from Wall, a goal and an assist from Bardol and the aforementioned goal off a draw win by Rapine. Lojeski finished with six saves, while Wissahickon netminder Cooper McMasters had eight stops. Kaufmann, Keith Sharp and Pat Hallison netted the Trojans goals.