Boys Lacrosse: Kris Henning happy to lead Garnet Valley to victory
MIDDLETOWN – The two lines of players assembled for the opening faceoff at Penncrest Tuesday night bore little resemblance to the groups that contested this game a year ago.
Through a rash of injuries for Penncrest, through an epochal change wrought by graduation to Garnet Valley, last year’s respective District 1 Class 2A runner-up and PIAA Class 3A runner-up looked like completely rebuilt units, even this deep into the 2023 season.
No one exemplified it more than Kris Henning, the Garnet Valley senior attackman who missed the last two years with knee injuries. Back, healthy and grateful for every second, Henning is playing like it, with a vital hand in breaking Penncrest’s resistance in a 13-7 win.
Henning scored three goals and dished four assists. In a game with many players still so green at the varsity level, the Penn State signee exerted control over a chaotic game whenever the Jaguars had the ball. When given man-up opportunities, he was able to orchestrate chances finding the back of the net, as distributor or finisher.
“I’m grateful every time I get to step on the field,” Henning said. “I haven’t taken anything for granted. I remember what it’s like to stand on the sidelines. It’s a horrible feeling. I’m just enjoying every minute as best that I can.”
Things are completely different this year for the PIAA runner-up. Gone are Daily Times Co-Player of the Year Max Busenkell, who left Garnet Valley with every scoring record, and expert marksman Joey Halloran, among myriad other changes. Players that filled bit parts down the pecking order last year have been thrust into larger roles, and the results have been mixed for the Jags (8-7, 6-3 Central). But when Henning can dictate play as Tuesday, they’re in OK shape.
He and Drew Goldt form the primary axis of that effort. Goldt scored three times in the first quarter and five goals overall to go with an assist.
“We obviously graduated one of the best senior classes in Garnet Valley history, so it’s been an adjustment,” Henning said. “It’s just relying on each other, all six of us on offense, move the ball, make good cuts and find the open guy because we don’t have as much individual talent. But we’re starting to hit our stride.”
It looked like that stride would take them right past a Penncrest side missing seven regulars due to injury. Garnet Valley led 5-1 after a quarter, Goldt seeming to get whatever he wanted. But Penncrest (7-6, 4-5) battled.
Spencer Meile scored five goals, including one with 44 seconds left in the first half to get the Lions within 6-2. He added two tallies 41 seconds apart early in the third to make it 6-4.
“It’s hard. It’s key players that we lost, but it’s next-man-up mentality,” defenseman Kolby Poole said. “We have to keep working hard in practice.”
One of the big reasons for Penncrest’s resilience was faceoff man Quinn Finnegan. He managed to go 9-for-17 at the X, and the Lions stalemated it at nine wins each despite Garnet Valley’s Kai Lopez (8-for-13) being one of the better faceoff men in the Central League.
“That was a crazy job by Quinn,” Poole said. “He’s just starting to become a FOGO, so it’s great to see him do that. I’m very happy with his performance. … I feel like he gave us energy and kept us in the game.”
When the game got close, Garnet Valley brandished its quick-strike attack to quickly create distance. Henning started it by feeding Josh Graham for a goal at 5:38 on the man-up to make it 7-4. Seven seconds later, Lopez won a draw clean for a tic-tac-toe through Henning to Goldt to touch it home. Less than a minute later, Henning swept to his right and unleashed a violent sidewinder under the bar.
Goldt dug deep into the bag of man-up plays – the Jags were 4-for-5 on the man advantage – to set up Henning at 2:34 of the third to make it 10-4 and effectively end the threat.
“Kai’s been great at the X, so we feel confident any time there’s a goal and a faceoff to get a possession,” Henning said. “Today was kind of up and down, a lot of transition, and we’re balancing that between being settled 6-on-6 with transition.”
Cameron Woolard scored twice for Garnet Valley, and Nicholas Skiadas paired a goal with two assists. Trevor Saccomandi was excellent defensively with four caused turnovers in the first half.
But the primary difference was the poise Garnet Valley summoned with the ball, to dictate the game. That quality all flows from Henning.
“We know our talent level,” he said. “When we dial in and take the right shots, move the ball, find the open guy, we’re tough to stop.”
Also in the Central League:
Marple Newtown 8, Harriton 0 >> Marco D’Alicandro made six saves in posting the shutout, and Alex Chambers won nine of 11 draws as the Tigers flexed their defensive muscle.
Joey Yukenavitch led the offense with three goals and an assist. Ryan Keating dished two assists to go with a goal, and Jace Kostack scored twice.
In the Inter-Ac League:
Haverford School 16, Penn Charter 12 >> Brady O’Kane and Evan Large tallied hat tricks as the Fords moved a step closer to an Inter-Ac title behind 10 goal scorers. Ryan DiRocco paired two goals with an assist, Colin Zeller scored twice and Wills Burt paired a goal with two assists. Brody Murphy made 11 saves in goal.
