BOYS LACROSSE: Cedar Crest rides big 3rd quarter to 18-7 road win
LANCASTER >> Halted in his zig-zag path to goal late in the first quarter, Cedar Crest's top offensive weapon, junior Stevie Roda, was forced into a rare retreat. Surveying his new options, only one choice became clear: pass.
So within seconds, not only did Roda deliver, connecting with classmate Alex Stewart for a go-ahead goal, but he unknowingly set an unselfish tone that would carry the Falcons (2-3) to their second boys lacrosse win of the season.
Outscoring host Lancaster Country Day by 10 over the final three quarters, Cedar Crest blitzed its way to a 18-7 road victory Tuesday. Roda, Stewart and three other Falcons filed hat tricks, as the team posted 16 assists in total. Led by the two-goal performance of freshman Matt Lane, the Cougars (1-4) were eventually buried by an 8-1 third frame that put the game away for good.
"We finally started moving the ball on offense and getting settled," Cedar Crest coach Craig Kemmlein said of the third. "We started out really sloppy, and lost the ball in transition a lot making bad passes. But once we got settled in our offense, we saw it open up for us."
Despite donning a temporary jersey number for the day, Falcons senior Austin Hummel had no difficulty getting recognized by his teammates to the tune of four first-half goals, the last a strike at a dozen seconds left before intermission. Hummel's late score washed out a man-up goal from Lane and pushed Cedar Crest to a 9-5 edge at the break. Earlier in the half, he'd been set up by Roda and had tallied twice with unassisted efforts off his right hand.
"He's been playing really well for us," Kemmlein said of Hummel. "He always makes catches for us in tight spaces and can turn the ball around. He's a guy that always gives 100 percent all the time no matter what."
Stewart wasted no time putting the Falcons' offense back into high gear, winning cleanly at the X and netting his third goal a half-minute into the new period. Sophomore attackman Mitchell Tice then took the scoring baton, scoring twice on the doorstep before senior Mike Weaver repeated Twice's feat with a buzzer-beating goal that polished off a near-perfect frame.
On the other sideline, Lancaster Country Day coach Kieran McMahon could only watch as Stewart, who also enjoyed faceoff success last time out against Manheim Township, dominated the circle while the Cougars' defense broke down in the second half.
"We stopped communicating defensively and fell apart there for a bit," McMahon said. "We're a very young team ... and our goalie had a tough time stopping shots from (Roda)."
Lancaster Country Day went 3-for-4 in man-up opportunities.
Cedar Crest will return to action Wednesday for a home contest against Lampeter-Strasburg at 7:30 p.m.
Cedar Crest4581—18L. Country Day3211—7
Cedar Crest goals — Stevie Roda 4, Austin Hummel 4, Mike Weaver 4, Alex Stewart 3, Mitchell Tice 3.
Cedar Crest assists — Roda 4, Tice 4, Stewart 3, Weaver 2, Hummel, Josh Zavadak, Grant Clarkson.
L. Country Day goals — Matt Lane 2, Peyton Snopek, Spencer Haiges, Connor Ross, Niall Bailey, Michael Nicklaus.
L. Country Day assists — C.Ross, Bailey, Lucas Haggerty, Lane, Devin McMahon.
Goalies — CC: Liam Nieman (9 saves), Matt Garrett (2). LCD: Parker Ross (3).