GLEN MILLS >> It was a late-season, non-conference clash of lacrosse heavyweights that certainly had a playoff feel to it. One combatant, host Garnet Valley, was in prime postseason form, and previously unbeaten Downingtown East was … not.
The Jaguars got off to a blistering start Friday evening – which has been an issue all season for the visiting Cougars – and went on to hand East its first setback in the regular season finale for both. The final score: 13-7.
“We told our kids a week ago that the playoffs start (today),” said Garnet Valley head coach Frank Urso. “We had to play extremely well against a playoff team like (East) that has a shot at winning it all. If you can play well against them, you get yourself ready.”
Number three in the District 1 3A Power Rankings heading in, Garnet Valley (15-3 overall) took the lead in the opening six seconds and never trailed. The Cougars (17-1) entered the day less than a point ahead of No. 2 Springfield (Delco) in the rankings, and are going to fall from the top spot they’ve held most of the spring. The Jags are projected to finish third, and — like the Cougars – will receive a first round bye in the district tournament, which starts Tuesday.
“(Garnet Valley) is a really good team from a really good league,” East head coach Joe Horvath said. “We took it on the chin tonight, but we can’t get too down because the playoffs are approaching.”
Horvath has been complaining of slow starts all season, and this time it was fatal. The Jags raced to a 3-0 lead before East was able to secure possession of the ball. Senior midfielder Kai Lopez won his first of many faceoffs to get things started, and scored immediately. And then teammate Parker Williams added two more goals less than three minutes into the contest.
“Earlier this season I said that the slow starts would eventually cost us, and it definitely did tonight,” Horvath pointed out.
“We knew (East) started slow so we talked about hopefully jumping on them early,” Urso added. “When you get down and you can’t win faceoffs, it becomes and tough game. That’s what we wanted to accomplish.”
The great start continued with junior Luke O’Donoghue and senior Andrew Goldt each scoring to make it 5-0. Connor Sweeney finally got the Cougars on the board with a pair of goals in the final 2:06 of the opening period, but Garnet Valley registered the first three goals of the second period to make it 8-2.
“Team morale was up after that first goal, and then it just like kept rolling and rolling,” Lopez said.
“That’s an amazing advantage we have with (Lopez),” Urso added. “If you get a goal, and get the ball right back and score again, it puts a lot of pressure on the defense.”
Lopez won nine of the first 10 from the X, and wound up winning 19 of 23 (for a .826 percentage) against three different East players. It translated into a large discrepancy in possession time, and the Jaguars used it to out-shoot the Cougars 23-11.
“But I think it was more than (the faceoffs),” Horvath said. “We were out-performed. I think we were a little like a deer in the headlights.”
East regrouped to score four of the next six, including two by senior Taner Marusa, to pull within 10-6. But Lopez notched his second goal in the final minute of the third quarter, and then senior midfielder Josh Graham and Williams each scored to make it 13-6.
“We knew (Garnet Valley) had a really good faceoff kid and that the possessions were going to come at a premium,” Horvath said.
“Not having possessions really taxes your defense. (Garnet Valley) has high velocity shooters and they are good off-ball. There is a lot to learn. We want to emulate some of that style of lacrosse.”
Already committed to play for Division I Manhattan, Sweeney paced the Cougars with three goals and an assist, and Marusa also recorded three goals. Junior goaltender Brady Quinn finished with a dozen saves.
“We had really good shooting early, and we’ve had trouble shooting,” Urso said. “We’ve been working hard on putting the ball in the right spots. And (East’s) keeper made some darn good saves.”
Williams led all scorers with four, Graham added three goals, and Goldt chipped in two goals and two assists for the Jags. O’Donoghue wound up with a goal and four assists.
“We came in knowing (East) was undefeated,” Lopez said. “That kind of motivated us, to spoil their perfect season. Coach Urso said to treat this like a playoff game, and we did.”
Garnet Valley 13, Downingtown East 7
Downingtown East 2 2 2 1 — 7
Garnet Valley 5 3 3 2 — 13
Downingtown East goals: Marusa 3, Sweeney 3, McMahon.
Garnet Valley goals: Williams 4, Graham 3, Lopez 2, Goldt 2, Potochar, O’Donoghue.
Goalie saves: Quinn (DE) 12; Keaveney (GV) 5.
