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Face Off
Pomfret’s Sam Paul faces off against Longmeadow in the team’s 4-2 victory in the Neville Smith Tournament. Courtesy photo.
The Pomfret Youth Lacrosse Boys Junior B Team hosted Vernon on 5/14. Two weeks ago, Pomfret lost to Vernon in their first game of the year by the score of 3-8. This time, with practices and game experience under their belts, they came from behind to better Vernon by the score of 5-4.
Both teams played to a 0-0 tie after the first quarter thanks to the solid defensive play of Lex Bosio, Connor Quinn, Cal Wilcox and Ryan Gravier. They played solid team defense and kept the Vernon attack at bay for goalie Josh McFadden.
In the second quarter, Vernon got on the board first, but with seconds left on the first-half clock, Max Paro intercepted a clearing pass from the Vernon defense and went in alone to bounce the equalizer into the top corner. It was anyone’s game going into the third quarter. Pomfret midfielders Zach Gagnon, Isaiah Price, Nick Alessandro and Mason Defocy relentlessly battled Vernon for ground-balls and field position, but Vernon managed two fast-break goals to take a 3-1 lead going into the last ten minutes of play.
In that fourth quarter, Pomfret juggled their lineup and came at Vernon right off the faceoff. It was Peyton Durand scoring fifteen seconds into the quarter on a tremendous fast-break play created by William Liscomb. Vernon would come right back, though, and regain the two-goal advantage with nine minutes remaining on the clock. From that point on, Pomfret dominated play and inched towards the victory. At the 8:00 minute mark, Tucker Sheehan fired a low liner past the Vernon goalie on a nice feed from Max Paro. Two minutes later, Ryan Black would tie the game on another Paro feed. The remaining six minutes of play were back-and-forth lacrosse, with both teams having their chances. Pomfret goalie Josh McFadden made a tremendous top corner save, and with a minute left on the clock, Paro would bring the ball down the left side of the field, pass to the cutting Tucker Sheehan who would notch the game winner at 5-4!
The next day, the team traveled to Hartford to compete in the Neville Smith Tournament. The twelve team tournament was played in downpours and showers and saw the Pomfret team play to a 3-1 record before the tournament was called due to lightning.
In the first game, Pomfret came from behind to upend the West Hartford Red team by the score of 2-1. Hartford scored first, but Josh McFadden would get the equalizer on an assist from Max Paro, and then Zach Gagnon would notch the game winner with little time left on the clock. Paro recorded the assist on the goal, and Corbin Schneider was the goalie of record, notching his first victory of the season.
In the second game, Pomfret was bested by the team from Mt. Greylock by the score of 1-3. Corbin Schneider again tended the net, and Tucker Sheehan scored the team’s only goal on an assist from Peyton Durand. Colin LeSage, Chris Santangini and Carson Hadley played multiple positions and gave Pomfret quality playing time through the game.
The third game saw Pomfret challenge a very physical team from Longmeadow, MA. Longmeadow went up 2-0 before Pomfret scored four unanswered goals to earn a 4-2 victory. Ryan Black registered his first two goals of the tournament with assists coming from Tucker Sheehan and Peyton Durand. The other two goals were unassisted by Durnand and Sheehan off very athletic rushes to the net. Josh McFadden tended the goal for the win, and Zach Gagnon, Lex Bosio, Isaiah Price and Sam Paul were instrumental in the victory with their strong ground-ball work, heads-up transition play and composure against a sometimes un-composed Longmeadow team.
In the last game of the day, Pomfret had a great match-up with a team from Bloomfield. It was a 2-2 score until late in the game off of goals from Ryan Black (assisted by Josh Bernier) and Tucker Sheehan (assisted by Cal Wilcox). Goalie Josh McFadden would make a couple key saves that resulted in transitions for the Pomfret offense. Josh Bernier, on a nice sweep to the net, would get the eventual game winner, and Sheehan would record the insurance goal on an assist from Black to complete the 4-2 victory.