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Offense Guides Lax Cats to Win over Vikings, Sends Squad to State Semifinals

By Joe Ginley, 05/27/17, 1:00PM EDT

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Conry and Boehm headlined the Wildcats' offense with 3 beautiful goals.

The Wildcats' offense has become one of the best in the State in the last two weeks. 

The Lax Cats reached double-digits in goals in just 5 of the first 15 games of the season. Since then, the Wildcats have scored 12 or more goals in the last five games, averaging 14 goals per game.

The offense certainly provided a thrill today for the Wildcats. The Saint Ignatius lacrosse team burst out for 5 goals in the third, enough to roll past the North Canton Hoover Vikings, 12-6. 

Both Michael Boehm and Nathan Conry tabbed hat tricks for the Wildcats, as Carter Blossey anchored the Lax Cats on the other end of the field. 

Now Regional Champions, the Wildcats advance to the State Semifinals next Wednesday, against the Region 1 winner at a site to be determined. 

The opening four minutes of the contest was a feeling out process for both squads. That is, until Nathan Conry opened the scoring with a beauty from the left side with 7:27 left. His goal set the stage for a great first quarter for the Wildcats. 

Brent Chernosky found an opening in the middle of the field in front of the goalie less than a minute later. Riley Kinzel lofted a beautiful pass to Chernosky, who fired it at light speed into the back of the net. 

With 3:16 left in the 1st, Max Maruna found Conry in open space on the left side. Conry created a little more space with a quick move, and ripped the ball into the net for the Wildcats' third goal of the morning. The lead stood at 3-0 after 12 minutes. 

The second quarter did not turn out to be as fun initially for the Wildcats.

The Lax Cats were called for a stick violation after a routine stick check between quarters. The penalty resulted in a non-releasable man-advantage for the Vikings. North Canton Hoover took full advantage. 

The Vikings notched two goals in the first minute of the quarter. Reed Davis and Kyle Stroia found the back of the net from back deep, bringing the contest within one. Hoover then tied it up 30 seconds later, fully capturing the momentum. 

The momentum swung right back to the Wildcats, however, following a nice clear and a lengthy possession by the offense. Michael Boehm capitalized on an opening at the 9:01 mark, blazing a shot by the Hoover netminder top-shelf. 

After another Anthony Ameo faceoff win, the Wildcats struck again after a nice possession against Hoover's zone defense. Riley Kinzel juked a defender on a perfect lefty bouncer, upping the Wildcats' lead to 5-3.

The Vikings finally received the ball back at the 2-minute mark after the Wildcats held the ball for a while. An inadvertent Hoover pass allowed the Wildcats to charge up the field and pressure the Vikings again on offense in the final minute of the second period. Entering the second half, the Wildcats held a 5-3 advantage. 

The Vikings started off with the ball after winning the faceoff to start the third quarter. Sam Esterle made the Wildcats pay on a wraparound after a slow play developed into a goal at the 11-minute mark.

The next five minutes elapsed quickly, with not too much action. The quarter heated up at the 6-minute mark, however. Working from near midfield, Connor Cmiel dodged a defender and found an open Max Maruna. The junior took his time before burying a shot into the top of the net for an insurance goal. 

Another junior, Ian Flynn, got involved in the action with 5:23 remaining in the third. Working at X, Boehm flung it to Flynn, who tabbed it into the net for a tally. 

Braden Moroz narrowed the deficit for the Vikings, seemingly preventing another Wildcats' run. But the Wildcats didn't abide by the Vikings' wishes. 

Conry scored his hat trick goal with 2:41 remaining for a huge Wildcats' goal. Then just 30 seconds later, Chernosky scored one of the grittiest goals you'll ever see. 

With a defender draped over him, Chernosky shot the ball at the net as he fell to his knees. His shot found the back of the net, giving the Wildcats their biggest lead of the day, 9-5.

Esterly scored for the Vikings to stop the bleeding and narrow the deficit to 9-6. A North Canton Hoover substitution granted the Wildcats a man-advantage. The Vikings then made another mistake in leaving Michael Boehm open. The freshman pinpointed a shot into the top corner of the net, setting the score at 10-6 entering the fourth quarter. 

The offense kept rolling along for the Lax Cats to start the fourth. Boehm notched his third of the evening, becoming the second Wildcat to tally a hat trick. Then with 9:29 left in the fourth, Cmiel dashed into the zone by himself and lofted a shot into the net over the stick of the Vikings' netminder. 

The 12-6 lead represented too tall a task for the Vikings to overcome. The Vikings end the season at 16-4 on the season. 

More information will be posted on the State Semifinal matchup as it becomes available.