District 1 Class 3A Boys Lacrosse: Hannigan, Springfield get revenge on Radnor
RADNOR — Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Springfield boys lacrosse appears to be getting better as the year goes on.
That’s the path to the two state titles in the last five years. And it showed itself in Tuesday’s 11-10 upset win over Radnor in the District 1 Class 3A semifinals.
The sixth-seeded Cougars (16-4) were routed the last time they visited Radnor, 11-3, in April. Tuesday, that was a distant memory.
“It’s awesome,” faceoff man Colin Hannigan said. “We learned from our mistakes earlier in the year. We lost to these teams that we’re playing but we’re making adjustments and getting better as we go.”
Hannigan was one of the main reasons behind Tuesday’s turnaround. He went 19-for-24 at the X, scored a goal and dished two assists. Both helpers found the stick of Jack Clark, who pumped home six goals to go with an assist.
“He’s automatic,” Hannigan said of Clark. “Get the ball to him, he’s going to put it in the back of the net and good things happen.”
Brian Seavey picks off a pass and sets up Jack Clark. 4-3 Springfield. 3 minutes to half pic.twitter.com/3s2r3OcFsD
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) May 26, 2021
Springfield led 5-3 at half thanks to a pair of Tyler Gougler goals in the second quarter, the last a sneak on the cage at 1:17 before the break. Aidan Kreydt and Clark bookended a Charlie Bernicker goal to make it 7-4 in the third. When Bernicker struck again, Hannigan answered within six seconds straight off the draw.
“I haven’t had many goals this year, but to get one like that, it feels great,” Hannigan said. “I couldn’t do it without everybody on my team.”
Every time No. 2 Radnor (18-2) made a run, Springfield supplied a response. Chris Begier and Colin French scored within 39 seconds late in the third, and Robert Hobbs (eight saves) kicked aside a Clark shot to send the teams into the final frame separated by a single goal at 8-7.
Springfield blitzed its way out of the break, though, with three goals in 1:21, including both Hannigan-to-Clark hookups, to make it 11-7. But Radnor gradually reeled them in.
Ryan Goldstein scored his second with 8:28 to play. Nick Lucchesi got a second crack before dunking home his second goal on the dodge with 3:39 to play. Jack Murphy scooped a groundball and deposited it in the net with 2:34 left to make it 11-10.
Sean Donaldson from distance. 10-7 Springfield pic.twitter.com/I67Dsh73eq
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) May 26, 2021
Radnor had a few looks late around two timeouts. But Ryan O’Connor stripped the ball and got the groundball to Ethan Johnson (six saves) with 50 seconds left. Springfield would turn it over, and a 60-yard stretch pass by Grant Pierce found Lucchesi with a chance to shoot at the horn, but it sailed wide and set off the Springfield celebrations.
Next up is Garnet Valley, the fourth seed that upset previously unbeaten Kennett. It was a 13-8 decision for the Jaguars in early April when Springfield visited. Not that that’s of any concern now.
“Definitely,” Hannigan said. “We want to go through everybody that we lost to.”
