Submitted by Langley Lacrosse
April 26, 2010 — A 17-goal haul for 10 different Saxons carried host Langley comfortably past the McLean Highlanders, 17-1, in Liberty District boys lacrosse action this past Monday evening. A late strike from the visitors foiled the shutout bid, but the win assured the Liberty front-runners (10-1 overall, 6-0 in district play) top spot in district standings and poll position going into the play-offs next week. McLean (1-11, 1-6) ends its regular season in seventh place in the district and likely to face the James Madison Warhawks (8-4, 5-1) in the first round of postseason play.
Langley attackman Sean Ahearn contributed a hat-trick while attackers Mikey Adams, Jared Larsen and Jack Lundeen, and middies Dan Gallucci and Luke Salzer, each delivered a pair. Attackers Ethan Bailey and Josh Sibio joined middies Joey Byrne and Ryan Miller with single goals, while attacker Robert Frazee supplied the lone score for the Highlanders.
Saxon goalies Ryan Long and Andrew Spivey made two and four saves, respectively, during each half of the game while senior Ben Felser had two and sophomore Seth Bartow provided three during the halves each played in net for McLean.
Langley struck right at the first minute of play, galloped to an 8-0 lead by the end of the opening quarter and had the Highlanders staring up at a 14-goal hurdle at half time. Performance was more balanced during the second half with Saxon goal production limited to three before McLean finally found the back of the net less than four minutes from the final horn.
The odd manner of the first-minute strike from Ahearn surely signaled troubles the Highlanders would encounter for much of the contest. The sophomore sharpshooter stationed behind the McLean cage was looking to supply a quick feed pass to a Langley teammate in front of goal only to see his attempt rebound back from the goalie’s raised stick and in for the opening goal. From there the Saxons got the bit between their teeth and reeled off four more in quick succession — these from Bailey, Ahearn, Salzer and Lundeen, who were allowed space to roam unimpeded in front of the crease area. Lundeen would have had another less than a minute after his first were it not for a fine point-blank save from Felser.
The Langley senior did get his second later in the quarter but not before Adams got number six for the Saxons at the end of a brisk passing sequence, from Bailey to Byrne then on to the sophomore for an easy finish.
It was not all one-way traffic, though, and the Highlanders had their chances including a man-advantage midway through the first quarter that did yield some better glimpses of Long’s goal but only a single shot by sophomore attacker Nick Baker that veered just wide. The McLean offense then put together some crisp passing during transition into attack shortly after the advantage expired but the resulting shot from a severe angle found only side netting.
Felser came up with another save on a close-in shot by junior attacker Jack Sandusky, set up nicely off a feed pass from sophomore middie Hunter Bentz. But the Mclean stopper could not keep out Gallucci’s first of the game moments later that staked Langley to an eight-goal lead late in the opening period.
The Saxons heaped further pressure on the Highlander defenses from the start of the second quarter. Ahearn delivered his third of the game right out of the opening face-off after a long run into attack by Langley senior defender Cas Semancik. Senior Byrne than dodged his way through the tightening McLean defenses to shoot into the upper right-hand side from 12 yards out two minutes later, and freshman Salzer collected his second of the night with an adept catch, turn and shoot maneuver from five yards out off of an assisting pass from Lundeen .
Miller fired in the 11th when the senior worked his way through the Highlander longstick corps to deposit past Felser from five yards after being set up by Bailey, who earned four assists in the winning effort. Gallucci then picked up his second goal just past the midpoint of the second quarter. The Langley junior was in the right spot to drill in from four yards after receiving a crossing pass from sophomore middie Clay Rivers, who had thoughts of taking a crack at goal himself until he spotted the open Gallucci in better position to finish.
Adams then closed out the Saxon first-half goal assault by sweeping low into Felser’s cage from close range with fellow sophomore Sibio providing the assisting pass.
Despite the weighty goal difference McLean came out from the half-time break the livelier side and put Langley substitute goalie Spivey to work early on. Sophomore middie Brian Sanders found sufficient space and time to dispatch a couple of threatening bounce shots on target although the Saxon sophomore was equal to both attempts, snaring the first and nudging wide the second.
A Langley man-advantage near the halfway point of the third period, however, led to another goal for the hosts. A Gallucci attempt was denied by Bartow, who had replaced Felser in goal at the start of the second half, but Sibio then intercepted a failed clearing attempt shortly after and charged in for the unassisted strike. The Saxons could have had another two minutes later when Larsen was given ample room to work near the goal area but the sophomore’s low shot was well saved by Bartow.
Spivey was busy again early in the last quarter and had to be quick to turn back promising mid-range attempts from Highlander senior middies Jordan Bass and Cameron Payne. The McLean offensive venture persisted until senior defender Nick Davis produced a tidy check and steal to turn play in the other direction for Langley.
A pair of goals from Larsen completed scoring for the Saxons, with the first a left-hand delivery from eight yards with Sibio teeing up his teammate, and the second, a 10-yarder snapped in just under the crossbar at the end of a weaving run into attack.
The McLean attack force applied further pressure in search of a way through the Langley rearguard but a Rivers steal of a hopeful crossing pass– this the start of build-up to Larsen’s second goal — and a turnover caused by a check from Saxon freshman defender Robbie Byrne appeared to stifle just about everything remaining the Highlanders could muster offensively for the night. But in the end Frazee did solve the Langley defenses, with the McLean sophomore’s scoring bid somehow getting a beneficial deflection along its path toward goal and past Spivey for some consolation in defeat.
The Saxons next face the Marshall Statesmen (0-9, 0-6) in the regular season finale for both squads, who will face each other again in the first round of the Liberty District playoffs next week.
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