DellaPenna, Owen J. Roberts boys lacrosse outlast Pope John Paul II in 4OT thriller
BUCKTOWN >> The start of the game was as fast as possible.
The ending came just as suddenly, but in between, Owen J. Roberts and Pope John Paul II played 62 minutes of back-and-forth lacrosse that each team has to hope, in some ways, is a sign of things to come for their Pioneer Athletic Conference campaigns.
OJR junior attackman Gabe DellaPenna’s goal came with 2:29 remaining in the fourth overtime, giving the Wildcats a 9-8 home win in the PAC boys’ lacrosse opener for both teams, and the longest high school game any of the participants, coaches, or officials could remember.
“I feel like I’m at my best when I can dodge quickly down the alley,” said DellaPenna, who did exactly that after starting with the ball behind the cage on the decisive play. “I saw a good matchup up top and took it.”
DellaPenna’s goal was the culmination of a 90-second possession that started with sophomore Jutty Daubert’s 16th faceoff win of the game to begin the fourth overtime.
After a full game of lacrosse and the equivalent of a fifth quarter in overtimes, the Wildcats’ patience on the final possession was impressive.
“It’s hard, because (in overtime) you’re always thinking about scoring quickly,” DellaPenna said. “But sometimes, the best opportunities come off of extended possessions.”
For some time, it appeared highly unlikely that any extra periods – let alone a quartet – would be necessary, as OJR jumped out to a 5-1 lead by halftime behind a recipe of ball control and timely defense.
Daubert got the Wildcats off to the aforementioned fast start, winning his first faceoff on the day and taking it to the cage, giving OJR a 1-0 advantage only six seconds into the contest.
Little did he know just how much work remained.
“You have to lock in a little more on faceoffs,” said Daubert, who did most of his work on faceoffs as a freshman.
His two goals and numerous ground balls on Tuesday underlie his increased role on a OJR team that lost 14 seniors to graduation.
Will Whitlock and Brody Calle, who had two goals each, joined Danny Walker on the scoresheet for OJR in the opening quarter, with Daubert’s second coming seven seconds before intermission to give OJR a 5-1 cushion.
Ian Young, who had a hat trick for the Golden Panthers, scored Pope John Paul II’s first-half goal and started the Golden Panthers’ scoring in the second half.
But OJR (2-4, 1-0 PAC) was able to keep the PJP offense mostly quiet before senior Connor Gucwa turned the game around.
A six-minute stretch between the third and fourth quarters saw Gucwa’s natural hat trick turn a decisive 6-2 Owen J. Roberts advantage into a 6-5 game with 10:52 to play in regulation.
A minute later, Eric Zadroga scored the first of his two goals man-up, bringing PJP back to square one.
The Wildcats quickly regained the lead on Blake Walther’s tally, with Whitlock’s second giving the hosts back a two-goal advantage at the 5:07 mark.
But Zadroga responded seconds later for the Golden Panthers, with Young closing out his hat trick with 4:22 on the clock, eventually sending the game to (not-so)-sudden victory.
The heroes, besides DellaPenna, were ample in the overtime sessions. Wildcats long-stick midfielder Torin Whitten caused turnovers in the first and third overtimes, while PJP goalie Sean Fallon kept the visitors (3-3, 0-1 PAC) alive with a half-dozen of his 14 saves coming after regulation.
“He’s been unbelievable in our first six games,” Pope John Paul II coach Matt Bildstein said. “He won us the Holy Ghost game (a 7-5 victory), where he had 17 saves. I can’t stress enough how important he’s been to our team.”
DellaPenna’s game-winner may have eluded Fallon, but PJP wasn’t leaving the field empty- handed Tuesday. The young Golden Panthers jelled throughout the contest, twice rallying from deficits to turn a one-sided affair into anyone’s game.
“We’ve had a problem with slow starts,” Bildstein said. “But we battled. I couldn’t be prouder of their will to win. We’ll work on cleaning up the little things.”
The Golden Panthers are back in action Wednesday against Pottsgrove.
Fallon’s opposite number, OJR’s junior goalie Brady Callahan, finished with 10 saves, including three stops that kept his team alive in the sudden-victory periods.
No rest for the weary hosts either, who take on defending PAC champion Spring-Ford on Thursday.
“That’s always a big game,” Torin Whitten said. “Spring-Ford’s our rival. It’s been a while for OJR to get a win against them.”
“We’re looking forward to that game for the alumni, who haven’t beaten Spring-Ford in the past. We’re looking to (recapture) some of that pride for OJR,” added DellaPenna.
As Tuesday proved, the Wildcats aren’t concerned how long it takes – just that the job is complete.
Owen J. Roberts 9, Pope John Paul II 8 (4 OT)
Results
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | OT | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pope John Paul II | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| Owen J. Roberts | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
Pope John Paul II
Connor Gucwa 3 goals, assist
Ian Young 3 goals
Eric Zadroga 2 goals
Shane Flynn 2 assists
Cole Miller assist
Dillon Murphy 8/24 FOs
Sean Fallon 14 saves
Owen J. Roberts
Will Whitlock 2 goals, assist
Jutty Daubert 2 goals, 16/24 FOs
Brody Calle 2 goals
Gabe DellaPenna goal, assist
Danny Walker goal
Blake Walther goal
Fisher McCausland assist
Brady Callahan 10 saves
