Strath Haven seniors make it 4-for-4 in states berths by topping Springfield-Montco
NETHER PROVIDENCE — In the locker room, they understood the stakes. On the walk across the bridge to George L. King Field, they felt the urgency. And for a couple of hours Monday night, the Strath Haven boys lacrosse players made sure they didn’t lose a game, a season or a legacy.
Understanding that the newer dynamics of District 1 Class 2A would require them to finish no deeper than second in the playoffs to avoid a sharp end to their season, the Panthers swarmed Springfield (Montco) early and rolled to a 15-6 victory.
Under win-or-else stakes, the Panthers not only advanced to the district final, set for 4 o’clock Thursday afternoon against the survivor of the Tuesday semifinal between Bishop Shanahan and Holy Ghost Prep, but secured a berth in the PIAA tournament. The district final is tentatively scheduled for West Chester Henderson, though there remained a possibility Monday of a late site change.
Considering that the soon-to-graduate class of seniors already had been to three state tournaments, there was an unspoken pressure to make that a perfect 4-for-4.
“All of us had played all four years together, and we knew this was going to be our last time together on this field,” senior Nicky Palermo said. “That made us play harder. It is exciting for our class because we were there three times and didn’t get our goal.”
It did not take long Monday for the No. 2-seed Panthers to show championship aptitude against the third-seeded Spartans, as they swarmed to a 4-0 lead within the first 6:12. Though Springfield settled to remain within 7-3 at halftime, the Central League-tested Panthers were too inspired and too physical to miss a chance to play for both district and state championships.
Palermo tabbed four goals and three assists, classmate Ethan Belville added four goals and two assists, and junior Ibo Pio had a hat trick as Strath Haven improved to 12-7.
Along with the experience of reaching the district semis, Springfield enjoyed two Paul Richardson goals and 17-save goaltending from Paul Asman.
“He’s a very good goalie,” coach Hank Resch said as Springfield ended its season at 11-5. “He’s been playing for three years, and this year has been his best year by far. He played very well tonight. I thought he hung tough.”
With Strath Haven dominating faceoffs, the Spartans were forced into a night of heavy retreat. Christian Mazur took advantage with a goal 2:15 in, and by the end of the first quarter, Palermo, Belville and Pio had scored to dictate the terms. Belville, Dylan Fitzgerald and Pio scored to make it 7-1, but Springfield scored twice in the final 5:23 to make a tidy statement.
That momentum, however, did not survive intermission, as Palermo scored twice and Wade Mutz added a goal within the first 3:15 of the second half for a 10-3 lead. From there, the Panthers enjoyed the stable goalkeeping of Vincey Palermo, who would provide 11 saves and a soothing presence.
“They have been to the state playoffs for the last three years, so they knew what was at stake tonight,” Panthers coach Jef Hewlings. “And we talked to the seniors about making sure they finished this thing the way they started it. So certainly, there is a sense of urgency whenever you are in the playoffs. We knew we were going to have to play for a district championship this year in order to play on. So we’re fortunate to do that.”
Belville, Matt Faggioli, Nicky Palermo and Pio concocted a four-goal flurry late in the third to inflate the Panthers’ lead to 10 goals. Each team scored once in a chippy fourth quarter and, for the Strath Haven seniors, their careers on that particular field finished with appropriate flair.
“We knew what the situation was, and we loved it,” Belville said. “Our coach was talking about it the other day, about how he loves this type of game, win or go home. We were jacked up and ready to go. And I think we are on a roll and are at our best right now.”
