Wakefield awaits postseason seedings

THE SENIORS were honored before the game yesterday at Landrigan Field. Pictured from left to right with their families are: Bobby Keegan, captain Dylan Frank, Alex Joly, captain Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Chambers, Dan Cataldo, Tyler Drago, Dan Kerrigan, Zach Brissette, Robert Guida, Nolan Collins, Alec Passacantilli and Devin O’Brien. (Mike Lanzarone Photo)

Published in the May 22, 2018 edition.

By DAN PAWLOWSKI

WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield High boys’ lacrosse team displayed the type of effort and grit yesterday that the  13 seniors have been known for over the last four years, but they fell just short to St. John’s Shrewsbury on Senior Night at Landrigan Field, 8-7.

“That was our best four quarters of lacrosse all year,” said head coach Andrew Lavalle. “We just needed a little bit more from every person. It isn’t easy to get a W on a team like this.”

While these senior Warriors are too competitive to feel content with the fact they gave it their all, it is clear that two major goals at the start of the season have been accomplished: Wakefield (10-6) is in the Div. 2 North Tournament and they are playing their best lacrosse of the season.

Wakefield has dealt with adversity well, learning to play without multiple key players including seniors Nolan Collins and captain Dylan Frank, but many seniors have stepped up and proved that the spirit of Wakefield lacrosse is unbreakable.

Whether it’s solid and consistent production and leadership from the likes of captain Ryan Fitzpatrick, goalie Ryan Chambers, defenseman Devin O’Brien and forwards Bobby Keegan, Alex Joly, Robert Guida and Tyler Drago, the Warriors have also received production from senior role players who Lavalle typically points out first; whether that’s guys like Frank, Collins and Dan Kerrigan who couldn’t be out on the field, or guys like Zach Brissette who just do their job and make their teammates better.

“We always rely on our seniors to play a big game, and they bring it every single day,” said Lavalle. “We also have some senior role players who had a great game today. ‘Al Paz’ (Alec Passacantilli), ‘Big Cat’ (Dan) Cataldo on defense. And offensively, we always rely on (Alex) Joly, Bobby Keegan went big and (Robert) Guida, (Tyler) Drago, all those guys had a great game. What really makes us dangerous is we got a lot of guys who can play. These seniors stepped up today and they played a good game for four quarters.”

The Warriors jumped out to a quick lead in this one, but the Pioneers played a good 4th quarter and took advantage of some tough calls on Wakefield to sneak out of Landrigan with a win.

Chambers was in rhythm early, making six first-half saves, the first of which catapulted Keegan to rip one from the right side for a 1-0 lead with 8:10 left in the opening quarter.

Wakefield got the next one about four minutes later as Mason Brennan let loose a cannon for a 2-0 lead. The Pioneers capitalized on a six-on-four after two Wakefield penalties to score with seven seconds left in the quarter to make it 2-1.

In the 2nd quarter, Wakefield went up 3-1 when Guida scored after a nice dish from Keegan about two minutes in.

Chambers and the defense continued to be solid throughout the first half. Fitzpatrick competed and won plenty of face-offs and ground balls and O’Brien picked off a long pass headed for the Wakefield zone and cleared it; not bad for one of Wakefield’s best lineman in the fall. That play set up a timeout for Wakefield and a steady offensive possession featuring an unofficial 27 passes, two shots, one dinged up post and a drawn penalty, which set up Keegan to whistle home a goal in the low, left corner on the man advantage to make it 4-1 with 7:28 left in the half.

The strong start couldn’t be maintained by the Warriors which is something Lavalle will be requesting of his team in the postseason.

“We started it early, we just have to bury it early,” said Lavalle.

Credit is due to the Pioneers who responded well with two goals in the next two minutes to make it 4-3 with 5:45 left in the half.

Fitzpatrick went coast-to-coast and buried one after a nice spin move to make it 5-3, and with eight seconds on the clock, won the ensuing face-off and somehow fought through a sea of defenders and hacking sticks right through the middle and scored another one, but the refs deemed it after time expired even though a couple of seconds were left showing on the clock. It was one of quite a few tough calls on Wakefield, but Lavalle was quick to say the team can’t rely on the refs to win.

Shrewsbury scored the first three goals of the 3rd quarter despite a few nice stops from Chambers, who made the save of the year with the Warriors down 6-5 on a lightning-fast reaction on a shot headed for the top of the net. That got the crowd and the offense going, as Joly ran through a defender and found an open Brennan who snuck one through the line to make it 6-6 with 2:25 left in the 3rd.

The Pioneers got another late goal with just 13 seconds left in the quarter after some nice ball movement set them up in front to take a 7-6 lead into the 4th.

Wakefield seized momentum in the 4th with some nice possession in the offensive zone.

The Warriors usually get a good echo from their bench when Lavalle calls out a play on offense, which was enhanced by a large group of Wakefield youth lacrosse players who had a game of their own going behind the end zone, in the exact same place these seniors were in circa 2010. They might not know what “Ohio” means yet (they’re not the only ones), but as they yelled it out with Wakefield’s bench, the atmosphere was set for Brennan to score his third on an impossible angle from the right side to tie it, 7-7.

The final seven minutes were a struggle of attrition on both defenses, and even though the Warriors got a great response on man down situations from the likes of Fitzpatrick, O’Brien, Passacantilli, Thomas Harrington and Matt Petitto, the Pioneers got possession and took a timeout with 1:02 left, setting up their game-winning goal with 36 seconds left.

In the end, it was a stinging loss, but the Warriors still have a great opportunity ahead. Wakefield will finish up their postponed game against Melrose on Friday and then wait to see where they are seeded in the tournament which should be announced at the end of next week.