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Jan 06, 2024

Granite Run Buick GMC Game of the Day: La Salle ends PIAA drought, holds off Garnet Valley, 9

June 7, 2023 by Chris Goldberg Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 6/7/23 Staff Report

June 7, 2023 by Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 6/7/23 Staff Report

The veterans on La Salle's boys’ lacrosse team didn't need a reminder of the history.

Two seasons without a PIAA win is an eternity at a program so storied, the last victory coming in the state final in 2019. With a talented crop of underclassmen maturing quickly, the drive for the senior leaders has been to make sure their high school careers don't end without a state win to their names.

"Losing those first two years is devastating," senior defenseman Jack Duffy said. "That never happens. It's embarrassing. I have an older brother who went here, so I know the legacy and the history. It's embarrassing to see that in the last two years. But now, we finally got over the hump and we’ve just got to keep pushing forward."

Duffy led a defensive effort that buckled down when it needed, causing a turnover in the final minute while a man down to preserve a 9-8 win over host Garnet Valley in the first round of the PIAA Class 3A tournament. The win ends the drought for the District 12 champion, and it avenges a one-goal loss to the Jaguars in the first round last year.

La Salle's defense was the key. The Explorers led 8-3 late in the third quarter before Garnet Valley summoned a run to get within a goal on two occasions. A loaded junior class of defenseman – Matt Wills, Andrew Van Stone and Logan Missett – stiffened when they had to in preventing Garnet Valley from pulling an epic comeback.

"I’m very confident in all our defenders," Duffy said. "All of us on man down, we know our job. We know what we have to do, and we did it and we got the job done."

La Salle went up five at 2:37 of the third when Max Wickersham wrapped around the crease for his fifth goal of the game. The sophomore ran the shop from behind the cage. With Garnet Valley in a zone defense much of the night, Wickersham and Jack Vandegrift spent the game overloading the defender responsible for X. That often meant Wickersham getting upfield, either to facilitate or to try his luck in tight corners on the crease.

"I think just realizing where they were positioned and knowing that I’m pretty fast, I was able to maneuver around and make some good shots," Wickersham said.

Wickersham has added a new dimension to the La Salle offense since returning in late April. He missed six weeks with a fractured pelvis, but he's back and integral to their state hopes.

"He's one of the younger guys on our team, and coming into this game, I know how good of a player he was. But he went off today," Duffy said. "That's something I know he can do, and he's just scratching the surface."

In a game delayed by an hour and 47 minutes by thunderstorms, Garnet Valley eventually found an answer. The teams retreated to the locker room at 5:34 of the second with the game tied at two.

La Salle was quicker out of the gates on the restart, two Wickersham goals making it 4-2. Stevie Davis, who won six of nine draws in the first half, scored within six seconds of the latter goal for a 5-2 edge.

"We were just trying to stay focused," Wickersham said. "It's easy to lose the momentum, but we came out with the jump right away."

The Jaguars were held without a shot for more than 14 minutes of game action, from Kris Henning's marker at 59 seconds of the first quarter to Colin Smith's goal a minute into the third. La Salle ran off three straight after that Smith goal, Wickersham scoring twice and setting up Darryl Kuriger.

Smith changed the momentum with 10 seconds left in the third quarter to make it 8-4. It was set up by Kai Lopez, who rallied at the X to stalemate Davis the rest of the way, each team winning 10 of 20 draws.

Drew Goldt scored at 10:13 of the fourth, after Garnet Valley caused a turnover and Zach Meyers headmanned a counterattack. Defensive middie Evan Wilkens made it 8-6 at 6:06 off a Goldt field, then Lopez absorbed a push while scoring at 4:18.

"Lacrosse is an emotional sport and we’re an emotional team," said Smith, who tallied a hat trick. "We get bigger in those moments, and that's what makes us such a great team."

Garnet Valley's Drew Keaveney was excellent in goal with 12 saves. The last one came with a sting in the tail, Keaveney kicking away an Evan Golato effort in the slot only for the rebound to fly to Leyton Bracken on the doorstep to make it 9-7 with 1:58 to play. The Jaguars got back to within one 44 seconds later, Goldt ripping home a Henning feed with a flag down.

Davis won the ensuing man-down draw but committed a turnover. The Jags steadied for a final possession, but Duffy played the spoiler, jumping a passing lane to cause a turnover, retreating toward the corner, and then flinging the ball – and the Explorers state woes – high into the night sky.

La Salle 9, Garnet Valley 8Garnet Valley 2 0 2 4 – 8La Salle 2 3 3 1 – 9

Garnet ValleyColin Smith 3gKris Henning 1g, 1aJoshua Graham 1aDrew Goldt 2g, 2aKai Lopez 1g, 1a, 10-for-12 faceoffsZach Myers 1aEvan Wilkens 1gDrew Keaveney 12 saves

La SalleNole Henry- 1 GMax Wickersham- 5 G, 1 AStevie Davis – 1 G, 1 ADarryl Kuriger – 1 GLeyton Bracken – 1 G, 1 AStevie Davis – 10/19 face offMatt Nelson – 1 save

Filed Under: Boy's/Men's, High School Tagged With: Garnet Valley, La Salle