FERGUSON NETS 5, LAM 3, COYLE 2 GOALS, 3 ASSISTS
Getting started on offense was difficult at first for the top-seeded Westfield High School lacrosse boys when they faced a determined fourthseeded New Providence Pioneer squad in the Union County Tournament semifinal round at AL Johnson High School in Clark on May 9. The Pioneers were winning the majority of the face-offs and grabbed a 5-3 lead in the first quarter but the Blue Devils gradually settled down to emerge with a 13-10 victory to set the stage for a showdown at the same location on May 11 with the secondseeded Summit Hilltoppers for the crown.
The 12-4 Pioneers won six of the nine first-quarter face-offs then the 93 Blue Devils would win four of six face-offs in the second quarter. In the end, Pioneer Matt Botvinis would win 15 of 27 face-offs and scoop eight ground balls. The Blue Devils went with Josh Caramagno (5 of 13 face-offs) and Gavin Laconti (7 of 13 face-offs). Senior co-captain Mike Marshall (4 ground balls) took on face-off.
The Pioneers set the stage early by winning the opening face-off and scoring within the first 17 seconds, however, one minute later Blue Devil attacker Garrett Ferguson evened the score. Ferguson would finish with five goals and two ground balls. With 9:33 on the clock, junior midfielder Christian Gilford scored on a nice wraparound to give the Blue Devils a 2-1 lead. Gilford would finish with two goals and an assist.
Pioneer attacker TJ Munn (3 goals, assist, 2 ground balls) got into the act three minutes later with a left-handed sidearm fling to knot the score. One minute later the Pioneers caught the Blue Devils off-guard when Jack Zarinko (4 assists, ground ball) set up
more photos at goleader.com Ballyhoo Sports Jackson Benward (3 goals, 5 ground balls) to make the score 3-2.
With 3:33 left in the quarter, Zarinko assisted Ryan Knight (goal, assist, 2 ground balls) with his right side stuff. The Pioneers won another face-off and with 1:50 remaining, Zarinko set up Munn with his left-handed overhead slam to stretch the lead to 5-2. Finally Blue Devil junior attacker Colin Coyle (2 goals, 3 assists, ground ball) got behind the Pioneer net and connected with senior attacker Cody Lam (3 goals, 2 ground balls), who struck gold with 41 seconds on the clock.
The Blue Devils stepped up their offensive early in the second quarter thanks to having more success with the face-offs but Pioneer goalkeeper Andrew Gullo made two key saves of Lam’s shots then with 8:59 left in the half, Ferguson scored on a punch shot. A little over three minutes later, AJ Whitehead on an assist from Knight, gave the Pioneers a 6-4 lead. With 4:36 showing, Gilford struck on another wraparound then the Blue Devils tied the score, 6-6, on a bullet from 15 yards out. Just before the half, the Blue Devils took a 7-6 lead when Bill Gerne charged up the left center and fed Ferguson with his third goal.
Once in the lead, the Blue Devils tacked on four goals in the third quarter, while yielding just one to seize an 11-7 lead. New Providence won the fourth quarter, 3-2, but the Blue Devils advanced to the championship game.
Gerne finished with a goal, three assists and three ground balls. Defender Steve Csorba scooped six ground balls, while Drew Pravlik and Jack Clark each scooped three. Jack Paris had two ground balls and goalkeeper Corey Gilford recorded 10 saves. Pioneer keeper Gullo finished with nine saves. Mike Henry had a goal, an assist and two ground balls. Jack Fitzgerald scooped four ground balls.
