Wissahickon warms up impressively, rolls past Upper Moreland

LOWER GWYNEDD >> It was, in reality, a lacrosse game between the boys programs of host Wissahickon High and Upper Moreland.

For the Trojans, however, it was essentially a tuneup for Saturday’s game which will see them meeting the returning state champions of Radnor.

So, in keeping with the tune-up nature of the contest, Trojans head coach Dan Layfield said he felt Wissahickon looked pretty good going into what is, on paper, one of the Trojans’ biggest regular-season challenges until the first game this season against rival Upper Dublin.

Wissahickon won, easily, 15-4, in a contest interrupted by three separate lightning strikes.

“We were trying to use this as a warmup game for Radnor (Saturday),” Layfield said. “And I thought our offense played very well. They were flying around.

“Defensively, we’re trying to get our younger defenders up to speed, and we struggled a little bit there.”

Offensively, the Trojans had little difficulty, as they ran up a 5-0 lead before lightning intervened with 42 seconds left in the first quarter.

While waiting the mandatory 30 minutes to resume the game, two more lightning strikes were seen around the field, so the game ultimately was suspended some 45 minutes before it was deemed safe enough for the players to re-take the field.

The Wissahickon lead got to 7-0 before the Bears were able to answer.

But by a shortened halftime Wissahickon was enjoying a 12-1 romp, and there was little to work on other than staying dry.

“I just wanted to see our offense working together a little better,” said Trojans attack John Esposito, “and I think we did work better together, but we still need some work.”

By game’s end Esposito had three goals and an assist, as did Eric Kauffman, while John Dickson chipped in two goals and two assists.

The Bears, meanwhile, never quite shook off the early Trojans fireworks.

“It went downhill a little at the start of the game,” said Bears head coach Ethan Fleming. “We got down by a little, but we kept working.

“As the game went on, our offense began working better together, and our defense was playing pretty well at the end.”

The Trojans lead ballooned to 15-2 by the end of three quarters, and the Bears made it closer with fourth-quarter goals by Matt Sippel and Matt Fritz.

But in between the rain drops and lightning strikes, the Trojans deemed themselves well enough to, perhaps, give the state champs a run.

“I think it should be a good game,” Esposito said. “It’ll be a good test, and it could go either way.”

LAXENDS >> Owen Baim added two goals for Wissahickon, while John Dunn, Kyle Wolf added single goals. … Brendan Costello had two goals for Upper Moreland.