Bishop Shanahan stays in Ches-Mont race with win at West Chester Henderson
WEST CHESTER >> It was a boys’ lacrosse collision that had a little bit of just about everything: lots of hard hitting, some epic face off battles, numerous lead changes and even the lacrosse equivalent of a half-court shot.
But the difference on Wednesday evening at Dicks Stadium was a mid-game scoring surge by Bishop Shanahan. It erased a one-goal deficit and powered the Eagles to an important 13-7 road win over West Chester Henderson.
“This was a huge game for us because last year (Henderson) spoiled our parade,” said Shanahan head coach Jon Heisman. “We lost to them 7-6, got a bad playoff seed and we never really recovered from that.”
It was a showdown to remain a game behind unbeaten Avon Grove and Downingtown East in the ultra-competitive Ches-Mont race, and Shanahan turned a 5-4 deficit into a commanding 10-6 lead thanks to a 6-1 surge sandwiched around the halftime break. The Eagles improve to 5-1 (7-1 overall) while the Warriors fall to 4-2 (6-4 overall).
“It was evenly matched for a half,” said Henderson head coach Paul Stankewicz. “(Shanahan) was better.”
The Eagles’ Kyle Gucwa had two goals and an assist in the last five minutes of the first half to give Shanahan a 7-5 edge at the break, and then Shanahan scored three of the first four goals of the second half to provide some breathing room.
“We really took care of the ball, used our athleticism and did some nice stuff,” Heisman said about the surge. “And our defense played great.
“We are comfortable that if we have possession of the ball, we can score. We have seven to 10 kids that can go to the goal and it’s hard to defend us.”
And then down the stretch, the Eagles pulled away as Connor Heisman and Gabe Goforth each scored twice, including a spectacular behind-the-back goal to wrap it up by Goforth, a burgeoning sophomore star.
“This was a big revenge game, honestly,” said Goforth, who finished with three goals and four assists.
“In the second half (Henderson) just wasn’t able to score. We got the ball more and just started putting it away.”
Gucwa – who has signed to play Division I lacrosse at Manhattan — also notched three goals and two assists. Heisman and Bryan Rafferty had two goals and an assist apiece.
“They got the ball inside and our goalie can’t stop those shots,” Stankewicz said. “What Shanahan does very well is that they draw either an extra (defender) or an extra half-man, and then they make two passes and put it in net.”
The Eagles jumped in front immediately with three goals in a six-minute stretch of the first quarter, and Goforth led the way with a goal and an assist. The Warriors revved up their fastbreak on quick tallies by Archer Rymiszewski and Joe Saulino, but Shanahan took a 4-2 lead into the second period when Kyle Pollick scored on a looping last-minute shot from just inside the 50-yard line.
Henderson seized the lead briefly with three straight goals including two in a row with a man-up advantage midway through the second quarter, but 39 seconds later Gucwa tied it and started the winning rally.
“We dropped it a lot early in that second quarter, and in practice when we drop passes, we do pushups,” Gucwa pointed out. “So that’s something that’s been drilled into our heads.
“It was nice how we responded. Last year, when we dug ourselves a hole, we were unable to respond. But this year it’s been different.”
Joe Saulino had two goals and an assist for the Warriors. Rymiszweski and Jeff Benson each chipped in with two goals, but the Warriors were outscored 6-2 in the second half. It put a halt to Henderson’s six-game winning streak.
“We threw the ball into traffic. We just lost the ball too many times than we should have,” Stankewicz said.
“(Shanahan) will be a force (in District 1 Class 2A) along with Strath Haven, and maybe we’ll get back in it. Maybe we will see them again in the playoffs.”
On April 10th, the Eagles dropped a hard-fought 6-3 decision to Avon Grove (5-0). It is, so far, the squad’s only blemish.
“We were bummed with that loss, but I think it just fired us up more,” Goforth said. “After that game, we said that this is the last game we are going to lose this season.”
Heisman acknowledged that Wednesday’s win was essential to stay in the hunt for the Ches-Mont crown. But the team has loftier goals.
“I know Downingtown East hasn’t played Avon Grove yet, but honestly, it’s going to be tough to unseat (Avon Grove),” he said.
“We’d love to do something in the league, but our goal this year is to win the district and win the (class 2A) state title.”
Bishop Shanahan 13, West Chester Henderson 7
Bishop Shanahan 4 3 5 1 — 13
West Chester Henderson 2 3 2 0 — 7
Bishop Shanahan goals: Gucwa 3, Goforth 3, Rafferty 2, Heisman 2, Smyth, Pollick, Tagiaferri.
West Chester Henderson goals: Rymiszewski 2, Jo. Saulino 2, Benson 2, Wierman.
Goalie saves: Pezone (BS) 5; Dampman (WCH) 7.
