Editor’s Note: guest post by Tanner Demling of Lacrosse Bucket
St. Thomas Aquinas Tops Saint Andrew’s
The final week of regular season play included some fireworks. That included a big result in
South Florida as the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders took down the Saint Andrew’s Scots 11-8 in
what was a battle between the 2A and 1A state champs from a year ago.
Aquinas beat the Scots 7-6 last season as well. This year’s win marked the first time in program
history in which they had beaten the Scots in consecutive games.
Freshman attackman James Finch led the way for the Raiders in the win with five goals. Senior
goalie Ethan Streiner (Iona commit) anchored the Aquinas defense with a whopping 21-save
performance.
James Finch came around the crease and snuck one past Scots’ goalie Ryan Kaplan to draw first
blood just over two minutes into the game. Jaik and Blayze Rodriguez followed up with scores
of their own to make it 3-0 with 7:55 remaining in the opening frame.
Saint Andrew’s would get going off a Connor Hofbauer score late in the first quarter and cut the
lead to 5-4 at the half. Able to slowly break away at the lead, Jack Schulte (Air Force commit)
took a step above GLE and put in one to make it a 7-7 game with 8:08 left in the contest.
However, while the Scots were able to tie it they were never able to take the lead.
Christopher Testa won the ensuing faceoff and took it right down the middle to make it an 8-7
Aquinas lead. Testa’s score sparked a three-goal Raiders to help burry any momentum the Scots
may have had and push Aquinas towards the finish line.
The win puts Aquinas at an 11-3 record entering the playoffs. Saint Andrew’s is 12-3 entering
the postseason.
Highland Park Earns Comeback Win Over Southlake
Head coach Mike Pressler and the Highland Park (Texas) Scots earned another big win on the
season as they defeated the Dragons of Southlake (Texas), 10-8, in comeback fashion on
Thursday night.
After a long defensive bout to open the game, Jack Manero broke the ice for the Dragons as he
drove through the heart of the defense for the first score at the 4:08 mark in the opening frame.
Luke Sagnga followed up with one of his own on the ensuing possession to make it a 2-0 game.
Leading 2-1 at the end of the first, the Dragons would hold onto the lead through the half as they
led 3-1 at the break. However, after a first slow first half for the Highland Park offense, the Scots
began chipping away at the lead.
Wesley Iverson came around the cage virtually untouched and put one in for the Scots at the
11:10 mark of the third to make it a one-goal, 3-2, game for the first time since the first quarter.
A bullet from the wing via Parker Adison and a score from Wesley Iverson in an unsettled situation seconds into the ensuing possession made it a 4-4 game and gave the Scots the energy
they had been searching for all contest.
Southlake was able to answer, but so was Highland Park. Things were knotted at 5-5 and 6-6 late
in the third before Luke Sganga unloaded to pull Southlake ahead 7-6 entering the final frame.
And while Max Bushaw added one more in the fourth to make it an 8-6 game, that score would
be the last of the day for the Dragons.
Highland Park ended the contest on a four-goal run that began with back to back scores seconds
apart from Duncan Zielke and Wesley Iversen. Paxton Smith put home a bouncer on the ensuing
possession to give the Scots their first lead of the game, 9-8. He scored another low-high bouncer
minutes later on the man-up to get the Scots to 10.
Christ Church Continues to Roll
Since losing to Charlotte Catholic (N.C.), 17-10, in early March, Christ Church (S.C.) has rolled
with nine consecutive wins. That included two last week as they handled Riverside (S.C.) 19-2
before topping Christ School (N.C.) 12-10 in their last major regular season test.
Sophomore Hudson McCarthy led the way for the Cavaliers with a season-high, nine-point
outing off of five goals and four assists. It was just the sophomore’s fifth game of the season as he
missed most of the early part of the year due to injury.
In what was an extremely tight game throughout, the Cavaliers led the Greenies 7-5 at the half.
However, Aiden Schook (LIU signee) put one home for Christ School to make it an 8-8 game
with 6:16 to go in the third quarter. It would be the first of three ties in the final 18 minutes of the
contest.
A three-goal run for the Cavaliers helped put them over the edge at take the win in the inter-state
battle.
Other Notes
- Lake Norman (N.C.) topped Hough (N.C.) in a big Tar Heel State battle.
- Jupiter (Fla.) took down Benjamin (Fla.) 18-10 for a big win to end the regular season. Dylan
Freshman won 27 of 28 faceoffs and had four points (2G/2A) for the Warriors. He also had
double-digit ground balls. - St. Xavier (Ky.) went 1-2 in their Mid-Atlantic spring break trip, losing to Georgetown Prep
(D.C.) and Norfolk Academy (Va.). They beat St. Christopher’s (Va.) 11-6 in a game where they
led almost the entire way.
Upcoming Games to Watch
Wednesday, April 12
Wando (S.C.) vs Hough (N.C.)
Friday, April 14
Walton (Ga.) vs North Paulding (N.C.)
Carmel (Ind.) vs Trinity (Ky.)
Memphis University (Tenn.) vs Montgomery Bell (Tenn.)
Providence School (N.C.) vs Christ School (N.C.)
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