St. Anne’s drops Covenant

In a matchup between last year’s VIS Divison I and Division II boys lacrosse state champions, it was a one-sided affair as St. Anne’s-Belfield cruised past Covenant, 19-7.

“We’ve got a lot of tough teams coming up next week in the playoffs, but [Covenant’s] a school that we have a big rivalry with and respect,“ said Saints coach Doug Tarring. “So this is a sort of playoff game for them and we had to rise to that level of intensity. This was an opportunity to play in a playoff atmosphere.“

Behind their explosive offense and an outstanding performance by Howie Long and goalkeeper Austin Geisler, the Saints had their way on both sides of the field until they pulled their starters in the fourth quarter.

Michael Morris scored three of STAB’s five first-quarter goals to put his team up 5-1 going into the second frame.

“Covenant came in with a lot of intensity because they’re just across town,“ Morris said. “Our whole team wanted it so bad that we really came together as a team and were able to jump out a good start.“

The Saints went up 10-2 before halftime and tacked on another five goals in the third to put the game out of reach with a 13-goal lead.

Covenant’s offense put together a handful of quality possessions in the second quarter, but Geisler stood on his head in net. He denied 10 of the 12 shots he faced in the first half. Geisler’s stick skills also helped as the Saints (14-2) easily transitioned from defense to offense.

“What Austin does so well is that he doesn’t just stop the ball, he gets it up the field,“ Tarring said. “That’s a big key part of our defense.“

Andrew Crockett had four goals, while Owen Van Arsdale had a hat trick and three assists to help Morris lead the way offensively.

Covenant’s Luke Heinsohn had a pair of first half goals, while Andy Colberg chipped in three goals in the fourth quarter.

Matched up with Colberg until he took the sideline in the fourth, Long kept one of the Eagles’ top scorers off the scoresheet, which slowed the Covenant offense down dramatically.

“The defense really helped there,“ Geisler said. “[Covenant] got in close a couple of times, but my defense always helps to keep the shots outside.“

Things got scary for STAB in the middle of fourth quarter when Tim Cook had to be carted off in an ambulance after a hit. Cook was taken to Martha Jefferson Hospital for further evaluation, but after the game, Tarring maintained that it was a precautionary measure

Last year, when Covenant (12-4) fell to the Saints, it was the last game the Eagles lost as they rebounded and went on to bring home a state title. Although disappointed with Thursday’s score, Eagles coach Dave Breslin hopes this year’s squad has the same resiliency.

“We’re very disappointed in the result,“ Breslin said. “But St. Anne’s is a great team and they deserve all the credit. We just did not play the way we needed to play. But hopefully, we springboard. You’ve got to keep your heads up.“

St. Anne’s awaits their opponent for the state tournament, while the Eagles square off against VES on Saturday in the VIC championship.