Boys’ Lacrosse Loses Possession Battle To Prep On Senior Night
May 21, 2009 by Greg Lederer
The Cheshire High School boys’ lacrosse team didn’t need any motivation for their May 19 night game with Fairfield Prep. Not only have the Jesuits won consecutive Class L Championships, but they also defeated Cheshire consecutively to close out last year.
The Rams got pumped up during the Senior Night festivities and used that energy to build a 6-3 lead by end of the first quarter. To the dismay of the vociferous home crowd, momentum switched sides following the break.
Fairfield Prep took control of the face-off and tallied five consecutive goals during the second quarter. The Rams were limited to just one goal in the second and third quarters and despite a furious comeback, they dropped to 10-4 with a 19-12 loss.
“We had no possession what’s so ever,” said Cheshire Head Coach Rich Pulisciano. “If you don’t have the ball, you are not going to win the game. It’s that simple.”
Possession wasn’t a problem at the outset. An early flag distracted the Jesuits long enough for junior Colby Olin to charge inside for the first goal just under five minutes into the game. Cheshire extended the lead after senior mid-fielder Dan Reynolds fired a shot off the cross bar. Junior Michael Jordan controlled the loose ball and quickly fed classmate Todd Heritage (three assists) for a point blank shot at the 8:53 mark.
“We were really excited,” said Reynolds, a co-captain with classmate Nolan Farrell. “Our face-offs were good and we were moving the ball around.”
Fairfield Prep’s Tucker Shanley and Chase Bailey scored just 27 seconds apart to tie the score 2-2, but a slashing penalty swung the advantage back to Cheshire. Reynolds delivered the ball to junior attack Mike Devine for his first of four goals and junior Nick Carisio extended the surge with three consecutive scores. The first score saw Carisio snag a pass from classmate Nick Guarino and fire an underhand shot through the net. Carisio scored across the middle and converted another feed from Heritage to propel Cheshire to a three-goal lead with 56.9 seconds left in the opening quarter.
“We were fired up and running on all cylinders,” Devine said. “You want to play top teams in the state. Fairfield Prep is known for their sports.”
The Jesuits slowed down the Cheshire offense by denying them possession. Bailey scored twice during the 5-0 start to the second quarter, in which the Rams saw limited time with the ball. When it appeared that Cheshire might go scoreless, Heritage made an aggressive move over the middle and buried a shot at the halftime buzzer to pull them within 8-7.
Fairfield Prep started the second half by showcasing their depth. Four players tallied a goal before Devine snapped the surge with a wrap around shot. The Jesuits took a 13-8 lead into the fourth quarter and converted again when Giff McGoldrick snapped an outside shot.
“It seemed like we were late with our slides,” said Pulisciano. “They have great speed and shooters.”
The game was slipping away from the Rams, but they wouldn’t go down without a fight. Sophomore defenseman Torrey Martone ignited a late rally in unusual fashion. Noticing that Prep goalkeeper Gill Long had left the net, Martone flung a sideline pass into a wide-open goal with 10:03 remaining.
“They locked up everybody and the goaltender was out. I heaved it and got a lucky bounce,” Martone explained.
A pair of goals from Devine, sandwiched between Carisio’s fourth goal down the middle, sparked a 4-0 run to deficit of just 14-12. Devine took the ball at mid-field and raced down to score past Long, tallying his final goal on a quick pass from Heritage with 6:15 remaining.
“It felt good, but I wish we could have capitalized on more opportunities,” said Devine.
Fairfield Prep took advantage of three penalties to tack on five more goals. Cheshire junior goalkeeper Nate Gaudio made 11 saves during the home loss.
“We were only behind by two, but the face-offs killed us,” Carisio said. “We couldn’t keep possession.”
The Rams, unfortunately, lost experienced players on Senior Night. Injuries to Farrell and Kevin Dykty forced the coaches to make lineup changes on defense.
“It’s very tough to lose that kind of experience,” said Pulisciano. “I had to insert younger guys. We moved (sophomore) Evan Gaudio down from long stick (mid-fielder), but he handled himself very well.”
Farrell is out indefinitely with a broken collarbone.
“He is a captain and one of our leaders. We will miss him on the field,” said Reynolds.
The class of 2009 has persevered through injuries and turnover. Chris Garber and Gerard Wrenn suffered ACL injuries before the 2009 season, leaving the Rams with just six senior players.
“We joke about the injuries, but the situation has brought us together. Without a doubt, we are like a family,” Reynolds said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more. To play for Coach P (Pulisciano) and the staff, is special.”
Cheshire will host Guilford tonight, at 7:30 p.m. and then wrap up the regular season with a trip to Pomperaug (May 22, 7 p.m.).