Boys lacrosse: St. Viator doubles up Maine South
St. Viator junior Cade Faulkner emerged as a fine outfielder Saturday afternoon - in a boys lacrosse game.
With time dwindling in the second quarter of a nonconference game at Maine South, Faulkner looked up, way up, for a 60-something-yard pass from senior defenseman Jayden Franzen.
"Our goalie (freshman Jack Hartman) told me to pass it," Franzen said.
Faulkner, an attackman and a Utah recruit, camped under the high fly ball, nabbed it deftly with the webbing of his stick in rainy/snowy conditions, and then zinged a shot for a goal with 1 second (maybe less) left in the half.
It was worthy of an ESPN "Top Ten Play."
"A top five play," a smiling Franzen said.
The thrilling buzzer-beater put the Lions up 8-4 and certainly highlighted their 16-8 victory. St. Viator senior attack Isaac Harrington paced the victors with 6 goals, including 3 in the first quarter.
Faulkner and junior attack Nicky Pastore each finished with 4 tallies, and Vermont-bound Carson Eggebraten and junior middie Leo Izquierdo contributed 1 goal apiece for Viator (4-1).
Maine South's Hawks (0-2) trailed 5-1 after one quarter but got as close as 7-4 on the second of back-to-back goals by junior attack Sean Mullan (team-high 4 goals) in the second frame.
Twenty-eight seconds later, the Franzen-Faulkner connection energized the visitors and made Lions Nation roar.
"We were a little sloppy there, late in the first half," admitted Viator coach and alumnus Patrick Gaeger (Class of '08). "We talked about it at the half. Teams are going to come after us because of their determination to beat a ranked program like ours.
"We can't get complacent at any point in a game."
Gaeger's crew returned to its polished brand of lacrosse in the second half, outscoring the hosts 5-1 in the third quarter and getting a Pastore goal in the first minute of the final quarter to secure a 14-5 advantage.
Mullan struck for a pair of goals in the final minute for Maine South. Hawks senior attack Will Guzaldo scored three goals, and freshman middie Andrew Mullan netted his goal at the 4:43 mark of the third quarter.
Winning keeper Hartman stopped 10 shots to his counterpart John McInerney's 7 saves.
"That's a very good St. Viator team," said Maine South coach Cam Staffel, a Lane Tech graduate who teaches at Taft. "We did a great job in areas, but there are some things, little things, we need to fix. We want to get to St. Viator's level.
"We'll be fine."
The game featured coaches who had played together for a lacrosse season at Adrian (Michigan) College. Gaeger was a Bulldogs keeper, while Staffel suited up as a middie.
Shortly after conversing under raindrops that turned into snowflakes following the game, Staffel suggested the two squads play again next spring.
Gaeger was all for it.