Boys lacrosse: Warwick seizes early lead, overcomes slump to beat Valley Central
WARWICK – It was a nice season for Warwick, with its 10 wins, division title and a top seed for sectionals. But the playoff moment nearly caught up with the Wildcats.
A goal in the final minute of the first quarter staked Warwick to a 4-0 lead over Valley Central. But then the Wildcats got a bit complacent and careless with penalties and breathed life into the visiting Vikings, who pulled within 5-3 by halftime.
“It was surprising because we had a week to prepare for them and we knew what type of team Valley Central was,’’ said Warwick’s Dan Thorson. “We just came in playing sloppy. I think it was definitely nerve-wracking considering it was a playoff game.’’
Warwick coach Tom Kelly got his point across at halftime and the Wildcats responded with two quick goals in the third quarter and held the Vikings scoreless for 20-plus minutes. The result was a 9-5 victory in the Section 9 Class B semifinal and berth in Saturday’s finals.
“I'm happy we got this out of our system,’’ Kelly said. “I think it got a little wacky there in the second quarter with the penalties and just trying to sub and do the right thing. So I'm happy we experienced this so we can prepare for the finals.’’
Turning point
Warwick seized a 5-1 lead early in the second quarter but did nothing the rest of the half. Penalties mounted, as did errant shots. Meanwhile, Valley Central senior Kevin Acevedo scored three of his five goals, turning a promising Wildcats start into a nail-biter.
Kelly delivered a warning message at halftime and his players took it to heart. Matt Sansone scored from the crease 45 seconds after the break and Ryan Nevins deposited his second goal, squeezing in a shot inside the right post 3:12 into the third for a 7-3 lead. VC was held scoreless until 3:26 remained in the contest.
Player of game
Warwick’s Darren Vogt was on top of his game from the outset. All three of his goals came in the opening 16 minutes. He broke the scoreless draw 2:40 into the contest, depositing a shot over his shoulder on top of the crease. He attacked from the left wing to beat VC keeper Cameron Prutzman for a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter. He took an underhanded centering pass from Matt Sansone for a quick-hitter 2:14 into the second for a 5-1 Warwick lead.
By the numbers
Warwick – Though not tested all that much, goalie Luke Accardo made six saves. Dan Thorson and Ryan Gonzalez scored once. The Wildcats committed 12 penalties and 12 turnovers.
Valley Central – Acevedo scored all five goals for the Vikings. Netminder Cam Prutzman made 10 stops. VC turned the ball over 12 times.
Quotable
“It's frustrating because I think we had them … Essentially, we weren't finishing on the opportunities they gave us and they gave us a lot of opportunities offensively.’’ – Tom Stoddard, Valley Central coach
“We had a chance if we would have hustled a little bit more. … I know a lot of people could shoot on our team and nobody was really shooting.’’ – Kevin Acevedo, Valley Central attack
“After that halftime speech, we locked in.’’ – Warwick’s Ryan Nevins
Up next
Warwick – The Wildcats will face Minisink Valley in Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. championship game at Middletown’s Faller Field.
kmcmillan@th-record.com
Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Warwick boys lacrosse tops Valley Central, advances to Class B final
