Rustin rolls in program’s first-ever PIAA Tournament appearance
WESTTOWN >> As starts go, it was beyond any kind of wild dream Kevin Philibin could possibly conjure. And the rest wasn’t bad either.
The West Chester Rustin boys’ lacrosse head coach watched with slight amusement as his team opened the program’s first PIAA Tournament appearance with a totally dominating first quarter Tuesday – surrounded on both ends by weather delays. The lead was already at eight through the opening period, and the Golden Knights went on to clobber visiting Scranton Prep, 17-2.
“It surprised me because it was to that extent, especially after a weather delay,” Philibin said.
“But (Scranton Prep) had a two and a half hour drive down and had to sit in the locker room for another half hour. So it kind of makes sense I guess.”
The reigning District 1 2A Champions, Rustin improves to 17-5 overall, has now won eight in a row, and is looking like a threat to challenge for a state crown. The Knights are now three wins away from getting it done, and will next face District 11 champion Northwestern Lehigh Saturday in a quarterfinal clash at a time and location to be determined.
“It’s all about the process right now, rather than the end result,” Philibin said. “Our guys are making good decisions, they are playing hard, getting ground balls, winning faceoffs and clearing. We are doing the little things correct.”
The runner-up from District 11, Scranton Prep’s season ends with a 14-5 mark.
The start was delayed 42 minutes due to lightning in the area, but that didn’t slow down Rustin, who scored four times before the Cavaliers earned their first possession of the contest. It was 9-1 at the end of the first when another weather delay commenced.
“Our guys were chomping at the bit to get out there and play,” Philibin said. “They were ready.”
It was 3-0 just two minutes in when Scranton Prep figured out it couldn’t let Rustin senior Jake Jackson roam unfettered behind the cage. But by then, he had already scored twice and assisted on a third to teammate Jack O’Hora.
And even though Scranton Prep changed things up, it didn’t seem to matter as Jackson wound up with three goals and four assists in the opening 12 minutes of action. A junior, O’Hora added three more goals in the onslaught, and senior Marek Seaman chipped in with a goal and two assists.
“(Scranton Prep) came out in their zone, so we got it to Jake behind the cage,” Philibin explained. “When he has a chance to see the field, he can really pick teams apart.”
Nothing much changed after delay number two with O’Hora, Jackson and Seaman continuing to pile up points – and another senior, Antonio Santangelo, got into the action with a goal and an assist. It was 13-1 at the half.
“It felt like everything was going right,” said O’Hora, who led the way with five goals. “We were moving the ball well, and the offense was really clicking. It was fun.”
An unsung standout was Mack Thompson. The senior won all 11 faceoffs in the first period and was 17-for-22 for the night. It was quite a contrast to an early regular season outing, against Bishop Shanahan, when the Knights won a single faceoff in a 51-minute-plus overtime victory.
“That was something that was a focus for us,” Philibin said. “Mack picked up the position and has been great for us. He’s the type of kid where he will do whatever the team needs.”
Jackson finished with four goals and five assists, while Santangelo, Seaman and Aaron Cotter each wound up with two.
“It was nice to see someone not in our district for a change,” O’Hora said.
“I just try to play my role. We already have a lot of initiators like Marek (Seaman) and Jake (Jackson) and Antonio (Santangelo). I see myself as more of a finisher.”
West Chester Rustin 17, Scranton Prep 2
Scranton Prep 1 0 0 1 — 2
W.C. Rustin 9 4 3 1 — 17
Scranton Prep goals: Barrett, Toolan.
W.C. Rustin goals: O’Hora 5, Jackson 4, Santangelo 2, Seaman 2, Cotter 2, Maychak, Scali.
Goalie saves: Jordan (SP) 6; Carney (R) 3; Brockett (R) 2.
