PIAA Class 3A Boys Lacrosse: Warmed up Jameison helps Conestoga burn Springfield
LOWER MERION — For a program like Conestoga, two losses in three postseason games constitutes a bona fide slump. So Patrick Jameison decided to switch things up Tuesday.
Instead of his usual warmup, Jameison upped the volume of pre-game shots four-fold. Chances are the sophomore goalie’s new warmup is going to be his every day routine.
Jameison was sensational, making 14 saves and frustrating Springfield to no end, sending the District 1 champions home with a 9-3 loss in the PIAA Class 3A boys lacrosse first round.
Jameison usually takes a little while to settle into games, he said. But two saves on Springfield’s first possession set the tone, providing an early cushion for the Pioneers.
“Usually, the first couple of shots in games have been tough,” he said. “But today, I was able to be locked in from the start.”
Jamieson eats that. Save no. 14. Springfield halfway to being 0-5 on man up.
Conestoga 8, Springfield 3, 3:00 left pic.twitter.com/FCs3KjMwnq— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) June 1, 2021
Just about everything Springfield (17-5) did so well in the district tournament was abandoned. Instead of a fast start the Cougars had used against Garnet Valley in the district final, the Cougars didn’t get on the board until Aidan Kreydt scored with 36 seconds left in the second quarter.
Instead of quick-strike offense from the X, Ryan Hannigan was only 7-for-12. Few of the wins were clean, none generated clear chances. Jack Clark, who had six goals in the district final, had only two shots in the first half.
Much of that was caused by Jameison and how his net coverage forced Springfield players to grip their sticks just a big tighter. But Conestoga’s defense deserves credit in what Jameison called their best game of the season.
In throwing different zone and man-to-man looks at Springfield, they kept the Cougars off balance. They nullified transition, killed off five flags and made sure Springfield settled for outside shots that Jameison could gobble up.
“We were honestly more aggressive out there,” sophomore LSM Tommy Ciccarone said. “I feel like they came out a little timid, and we capitalized off that. We were all over the place. The sliding was something we struggled with all year kind of, but sliding was our best today.”
“We just couldn’t get to him today,” said Springfield senior midfielder Jake Kuzmick, who scored a pair of goals. “He’s one of the better goalies we’ve seen.”
That gave Stoga’s attack room to operate. Patrick Reilly scored twice in the first half on the way to four goals. Peter Detwiler rifled home his second at 7:13 of the third after Jameison had absorbed a long Springfield possession. Reilly set that one up, then finished his hat trick 19 seconds later. Joey Allen added a wrap-around of the cage with 5:51 left in the fourth to seal it. He also dished two assists.
That was more than enough support for Jameison. The Pioneers beat the Cougars in the regular season but still entered states as District 1’s sixth seed, with a chip on their shoulder. But that didn’t weigh Jameison down.
“It does feel like we were the underdogs,” Jameison said. “Everyone was like, ‘Springfield’s hot, they’re going to beat you guys.’ Just because we beat them once doesn’t mean we’re going to beat them again and they have improved a lot since we played them. But so have we.”
