JA junior defensemen Evan Catanella (16) takes the ball past midfield as Beavercreek’s David Cales (17) tries to stick-check the Pioneer. Also pictured is Alder’s Ryan Mark (11).
(Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
A rain delay seemingly dampened a red-hot Jonathan Alder attack as the Pioneers’ varsity lacrosse team gave up an early lead to visiting Beavercreek.
The end result was a 14-10 setback for JA, which slipped to 8-6 overall on the season. In Region 7, the Pioneers are 6-5.
“We had a couple penalties I felt that put us in a hole,” JA coach Rob Davis said. “I told them the difference in the game was the penalties we had and the fact we gave up goals.”
Scoring opportunities came early for the Pioneers after Mason Wolford secured the team’s first score during the initial minutes of the first quarter.
Alder increased its lead to 2-0 after Aspen Cameron connected for a goal just as the Pioneer offense started to heat up Volunteer Field.
Beavercreek’s Devon Garcia chopped the lead down after scoring the Beavers’ first goal with roughly seven minutes left to play in the first set.
Wolford got the Pioneers back to a two-goal lead of 3-1 minutes.
However, Beavercreek’s Daniel Pearl put the visiting team back in the swing of things with a score that cut JA’s margin to 3-2.
The visitors almost tied the game in the final seconds of the first quarter, connecting the ball with the net just as the horn blew to signal the end of the period.
However, the officials called a no-goal, much to the dismay of the visiting spectators.
In the opening minute of the second quarter, Alder’s Ryan Mark claimed the fourth goal for the Pioneers.
As both teams battled it out, Mother Nature decided to join in on the action.
A rain delay halted the action for 30 minutes due to thunder and lightning. During that time, the Pioneers, who led 4-2, regrouped to discuss aspects of the game.
“We spoke with the kids in the locker room about the things we needed to do,” Davis said.
The Beavers seemingly did the same, taking the Pioneers to task once action resumed.
“Anytime you have a delay like that, especially when you have the momentum, you worry about coming out flat,” Davis said.
With a little over two minutes left in first half, the Beavers overcame the early Pioneer lead with two goals that tied the action at 4-4.
Alder’s Mark tallied a second-half goal.
Pearl, however, put the Orange and Black in the drivers’ seat with a go-ahead goal in the early stages of the third quarter.
Ethan Otten, then put the visitors ahead 7-5 as the Beavers spent more time around Alder’s side of the field.
Cameron pulled the Pioneers back to a one-goal deficit.
Logan Grant, though, later put Beavercreek’s lead to 8-6 with around seven and a half minutes left in the third quarter.
Grant shortly thereafter took the Beavers to a three-goal lead (9-6) with just two minutes until the final quarter with a chunk of the game still left to play.
At the start of the final quarter, the Beavers’ Darek Smith secured the team’s tenth goal.
The Pioneers got within one goal, thanks to Cameron, during the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
The Beavers were still up for the challenge, eventually taking a four-goal lead towards the end of the contest.
“I felt this was a game that we definitely had the momentum,” Davis said. “We just kind of let it slip away from us as we were being put in a corner.”
The Pioneers are slated to face-off against Marysville on Friday in what has turned into a friendly local rivalry between the two programs. The game is set to start at 7 p.m. and will take place at Marysville.
While the most recent loss stings, Davis commented, the matchup against the Monarchs is one in which both squads are excited.
“I think [spectators] will get a good game out of both teams,” Davis said. “It’s something MHS coach Zac Engel and I look forward to each year.
“We’ve tried to bring our programs closer together… it’s a good rivalry.”