Two of the hottest offenses in Ohio lacrosse faced off at Wooster High School on Wednesday evening, but defense decided a nail-biter of an OHSAA State Tournament Semifinal.
In an incredible contest marked by exceptional play by the Wildcats' defense and netminder Carter Blossey, the Lax Cats punched their ticket to Columbus. The Saint Ignatius lacrosse team held on for a 5-3 victory over the Olentangy Liberty Patriots.
Facing a stout Olentangy Liberty squad that boasts four Ohio State recruits, the Wildcats' defense stood strong, holding its ground time after time. Stout play by Blossey and timely scoring plays by Michael Boehm and Co. also paved the way for the victory.
The win sends the Wildcats to the inaugural OHSAA State Lacrosse Tournament Championship against the Archbishop Moeller Crusaders.
The first quarter of the state semis elapsed quite quickly. An Olentangy Liberty at the 3:17 mark and a Saint Ignatius timeout with 0:29 left represented the only stoppages of play in the first.
The period was not without action, however. The Wildcats held onto the ball for the majority of the quarter, pressuring the Patriots for much of the action. However, the Patriots kept the Wildcats off the board, as Olentangy Liberty's defenders played quite aggressively and held the Wildcats' attackers at bay.
The Wildcats' strategy of placing long sticks on Olentangy Liberty's two dynamic Ohio State-bound defenders, Griffin Hughes and Johnny Wiseman, worked well in the first. The Patriots could not score, sending the teams into the second with a scoreless 0-0 tie.
Early in the second, the Wildcats drew a minute man-up opportunity following an illegal check on the Patriots. Skylar Wahlund came up with an incredible save to turn away a beautiful Wildcats' chance, however, keeping the contest even.
Wahlund and Wildcats' goalie Carter Blossey each notched super saves, stopping seemingly superb shots in the early stages of the second period.
With 5:22 left in the second, the Patriots received a chance on a man-advantage. Olentangy Liberty did manage a couple opportunities, but each chance went wide of the net. The score remained knotted at zero heading into the final two minutes.
The first score of the game arrived with 1:35 left in the first half, later than most might have predicted before the game.
Michael Boehm found himself in trouble on the far side of the offensive zone, with a Patriot on his tail and another approaching. Facing the pressure, Boehm didn't panic, tossing a pass to an open Nathan Conry. Awaiting the ball on the right side of the crease, Conry beat Wahlund for the first time of the day, causing an eruption among Saint Ignatius fans.
The goal marked the seventh goal in three games for Conry, the newly minted Student-Athlete of the Week. Conry's goal proved crucial with time ticking down in the first half.
Following a timeout by Head Coach Garen Distelhorst '96, the Wildcats passed the ball around the perimeter with 30 seconds left. The ball found the stick of Grayson Gerard, who wasted no time.
The senior dodged a defender and danced towards the middle of the zone before firing a gorgeous shot top-shelf. The tally ignited the Wildcats' sideline, and sent the men from Ohio City into the break with a 2-0 lead and a healthy side of momentum.
The Lax Cats' outstanding defense continued at the third quarter began. Following a pair of promising chances on offense, the Wildcats turned away a pair of Patriots' shots, due to the Lax Cats' ferocity inside in preventing cross-crease passes and any shots inside.
While the Wildcats could not find the back of the net, they worked hard to hang onto the ball and fought fiercely for each loose ball. The persistence paid off, keeping the Patriots off the board.
The Patriots recorded a pair of shots on goal, including a soft one directly to Blossey at the 3-minute mark. The shot sparked Blossey, who sprinted out of his net with the ball, bound for the opposite side of the field. Blossey weaved through Patriots' pressure after a ground ball, eventually finding Michael Boehm.
The freshman took the ball and worked his magic. Boehm took the ball to X, then turned around to come back to the right side of the net. Facing the sidelines, Boehm suddenly turned around and flung a left-handed shot, catching the Patriots unaware. The shot found the back of the net, giving the Wildcats a 3-0 advantage.
A minute later, the Wildcats' hopes of a shutout ended. Griffin Hughes found a sliver of an opening from the right side about 10 yards out. The OSU commit's tally proved to be the last of the third, as the Wildcats entered the final 12 minutes with a 3-1 lead, despite a shot by Johnny Wiseman at the buzzer.
Boehm used his incredible passing skills for the second time of the day with 10:10 left in the fourth. The Michigan commit tossed a cross-crease pass to Ian Fylnn above the head of a defender. Flynn fired it into the net to up the lead to 4-1.
The Patriots' offense awakened at the midpoint of the fourth quarter. Johnny Wiseman and Griffin Hughes found the back of the net at the 7:09 and 5:56 marks of the quarter, narrowing the Wildcats' lead to 4-3 entering the final minutes of the contest.
Tension mounted with 2:18 remaining following an Olentangy Liberty timeout and even moreso following a Wildcats' timeout with 1:12 left.
But the Wildcats possessed the ball, killed the clock, and Conry finished off the Patriots with 12 seconds left on an empty-net goal. The victory marked the second time in as many seasons the Wildcats have knocked off a stout Patriots team, as the Lax Cats held on for a 6-4 win in the Regional Final last season.
The Crusaders will await the Wildcats in the State Championship after Moeller upset St. Xavier in the Regional Final and Upper Arlington in the State Semifinal tonight, 10-9.
The Wildcats and Crusaders met earlier in the season in Cincinnati. The Crusaders built an early lead before the Lax Cats stormed back to nearly comeback to tie it. But the Crusaders held on for an 8-7 victory.
The rematch will take place on Saturday at Selby Stadium at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio at 7 p.m. The SIBN will have a live, audio-only broadcast, per OHSAA regulations.
CONGRATULATIONS are in order for Head Coach Garen Distelhorst '96! Garen and his wife, Katie, welcomed a baby boy into the world on Tuesday. Theodore "Teddy" Jack Distelhorst '35 joins his older brother Garen, Jr.
Congratulations to the Distelhorst family, and a huge heap of praise to Garen Sr. on preparing an excellent game plan in between spending time in the hospital with his wife and kids. Well-done, and congratulations!