 | | | Joey Forman #17 Photos Ohlen Alexander
| | | | | | Last Wednesday marked the start of the Division II boys' lacrosse NCS championship tournament. As the top two finishers in the DFAL, both Acalanes and Miramonte earned berths in the playoffs. With an undefeated league record, the Dons enjoyed a first-round bye and the No. 2 seed.
In tonight's semi-final home match, Acalanes will take on No. 3 Piedmont. Miramonte head coach David Winford had hoped the Mats would have a third chance to play the Dons in that semi-final, but Piedmont eliminated them (15-5) in Friday night's second round.
Despite their loss, Winford was happy to be in the playoffs. With only 13 teams qualifying, he said, "I feel really good about being the sixth seed. Our players have dedicated a lot of their time to this season and have earned the privilege of playing for the NCS championship."
Miramonte earned a decisive win in the first round against No. 11 Sonoma Academy. Sophomore goalie Justin O'Camb allowed only three goals. Although it took three full minutes to get on the board, the goals came fast and furious in the last three minutes of the first quarter, ending it 5-0. The Mats' momentum continued and they earned a 17-3 win. Top scorers included senior co-captains Joey Forman and Nick Sheehan and junior Jack Murphy, logging an impressive four goals each.
In Lafayette on Friday, Acalanes faced off against Cardinal Newman High School in the second-round of the playoffs. Taking advantage of their bye, Acalanes came out strong grabbing their first goal two minutes into the match. Cardinal Newman answered right back. The quarter ended 4-2.
At the start of the second quarter, the Dons took off and widened the gap by seven, securing a comfortable lead by halftime, 11-4. Their momentum continued for the remainder of the game, and they defeated the Santa Rosa team, 18-7.
The Dons were led by attackers senior Wesley Greason, junior Robbie Stern, and Scott Lindsay with five, four, and three goals respectively.
Their fast and aggressive defense played a major role in the win as well.
Acalanes head coach Brent Ringwood has been impressed with the progress of his defensive players throughout the season. "What was a young, inexperienced group of players last year has turned into a savvy, aggressive, veteran group," he said, crediting defensive coordinator Elliot Carney.
The rest of the tournament presents big challenges for Acalanes. While the Dons narrowly defeated Piedmont once this season, Ringwood knows it will be tough to do it twice, calling it a "daunting task."
If Acalanes can dismiss the Highlanders to advance to the finals, they will square off against one of two teams that each beat them by just one goal earlier this season, Marin Catholic or Marin Academy.
Regardless of the outcome of the NCS tournament, Ringwood is very pleased with the Dons' undefeated record and DFAL title. "There were stumbling points early in the season that we overcame and the chemistry has been really good this year," he explained. "We were very young last year and it showed, but a young team last year meant that we were returning a lot of talented players this year, so we knew we had a chance at success." Ringwood added.
Catch the semi-final match against Piedmont, tonight at 7 p.m. at Acalanes.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA