Sports

Boys Lacrosse: Everything goes Tuckers’ way against Monarchs

Mattituck/Greenport/Southold's Tyler Seifert puts a shot on goal despite the efforts of Bishop McGann-Mercy's Andrew Glasgow. (Credit: Garret Meade)
Mattituck/Greenport/Southold’s Tyler Seifert puts a shot on goal despite the efforts of Bishop McGann-Mercy’s Andrew Glasgow. (Credit: Garret Meade)

TUCKERS 17, MONARCHS 1

His playing time is limited to brief, sporadic appearances on the lacrosse field. Then, once his job is done, he quickly scoots off the field for a substitute, and waits on the sideline until his skills are called for again. And while he is not asked to produce goals or assists, his value to the team is unquestioned.

The face-off man is the ultimate specialist. His job is to win possessions for his team. Nothing else.

Dylan Marlborough does his job quite well, sometimes exceedingly well. Friday was one of those times.

Marlborough’s dominance in face-offs set the tone for Mattituck/Greenport/Southold’s 17-1 season-opening demolition of Bishop McGann-Mercy at Mattituck High School. The junior won the game’s first 14 face-offs and 19 of 21 for the Suffolk County League IV game.

Not only that, but Marlborough’s face-off success helped him scoop up a game-high 17 ground balls.

Dominance was the appropriate word as the Tuckers controlled the game from start to finish against an inexperienced McGann-Mercy team, most of whose players are new to lacrosse. The Monarchs had lost their opening game the day before, 14-1, in Hampton Bays.

Friday’s result was hardly surprising. The Tuckers had put in 13 goals before Louis Arresta registered McGann-Mercy’s only goal of the day with a little over three minutes left in the third quarter.

The team statistics were telling. The Tuckers bombarded the Monarchs with shots, outshooting them by 61-2. Ground balls also went decidedly in the Tuckers’ favor, 63-12.

Perhaps the busiest player on the field was McGann-Mercy’s goalie, Liam Poudrier. Poudrier, a junior transfer from The Knox School, is one of the few Monarchs with a lacrosse background. The thing is, his prior experience came as an attackman. He was moved to goal this year for the first time. After playing one quarter Thursday in his first game as a goalie, Poudrier was credited with 18 saves in the three quarters he played Friday before making way for Jarred Velez.

But Poudrier’s goaltending was not enough to hold off the onslaught. The Tuckers looked organized and sharp, whipping passes around the field, finding openings in McGann-Mercy’s defense and pouncing on opportunities.

Tim Schmidt (3 goals, 3 assists), Tyler Seifert (3 goals) and Jack DiGregorio (2 goals, 3 assists) led the way for the Tuckers. Jeff Hauser, Zach Holmes and Tom Hoeg each had 2 goals and 1 assist. Matt Mauceri, Cal Seifert and Lucas Webb also found the net.

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