Boys Lacrosse: Shoreham-Wading River falls in Long Island final
Shoreham-Wading River’s quest for a fourth Long Island boys lacrosse championship ended Saturday night in the Class B final at Stony Brook University, with a 9-4 loss to Nassau County champion Garden City.
The Trojans, winners of the last six Nassau titles, advanced to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class B semifinals, where they will face Yorktown this Wednesday.
Shoreham-Wading River finished the season with a record of 17-3.
Tom Rotanz Jr., Mike Malave, Kris Miller and Paul Curran scored for the Wildcats.
Patric Berkery scored three goals for Garden City and Devin Dwyer added two more.
The Wildcats opened the scoring 1:12 into the game when Malave found Rotanz Jr. just outside the left post for a 1-0 lead.
Rotanz returned the favor with just under four minutes left in the quarter, assisting on Malave’s goal from eight yards in front, giving the Wildcats a two-goal edge.
Garden City’s patient attack yielded nothing in the opening 12 minutes, partly because of two turnovers deep in the Shoreham end, and partly because of two key stops, one by goaltender Tyler Lutjen and another by the post on a shot by Berkery.
The Trojans dominated possession in the second quarter — mainly because of Rob Savage’s faceoff proficiency — and cut the lead in half two minutes in on a goal by Dwyer.
Lutjen made three more stops from point-blank range to help maintain Shoreham’s edge, but Savage evened it up with 3:09 left in the half.
The Trojans pulled ahead with 1:43 remaining when Tom Gordon converted a pass from Dwyer behind the net. Brian Coleman added to the lead with an unassisted goal with 23 seconds left, and the Trojans took a 4-2 lead into halftime.
The Wildcats had a man-up opportunity early in the third but turned it over on a bad pass, then Malave was stopped by Trojan goalie Dan Marino.
Lutjen made another big save on a bullet by Berkery midway through the third, but Berkery got another chance with a man advantage and didn’t miss, scoring with 2:54 left to make it 5-2.
Jack Spencer scored another goal for Garden City with 30 seconds remaining, and the Trojans led by four heading into the final quarter.
Savage won the opening faceoff of the fourth quarter, and a few seconds later, Berkery scored to extend the Trojan lead to 7-2.
A Wildcats turnover gave the ball right back 90 seconds later, and Dwyer scored his second of the game and it was 8-2.
Curran got one back for the Wildcats with an unassisted goal with nine minutes remaining, and then Miller bounced a shot past Marino with 6:48 left to cut the gap to 8-4.
But Berkery scored his third of the game with 4:02 left to make it 9-4, and the Trojans ran out the clock to end it.
Shoreham-WR 2-0-0-2 — 4
Garden City 0-4-3-2 — 9
Check back Sunday for the complete story and postgame reaction.
