Boys lacrosse: St. Viator knocks out defending state champs
St. Viator made Tuesday hump day.
The Lions qualified for the boys lacrosse state finals by beating defending state champion Loyola 9-7 at the Hoffman Estates supersectional.
St. Viator (22-1) will meet Lake Forest in Thursday's state semifinals at Benedictine University in Lisle at 7 p.m. St. Viator won an earlier meeting between the teams 6-3.
Tuesday's hump day win moved the Lions into the state finals for the first time since it became an official IHSA sport in 2018. St. Viator had qualified four times previously when the sport was a club sport.
It was also for the first for St. Viator over Loyola in the state tournament. The Lions had defeated the Ramblers (17-5) earlier this season.
"This is the humpiest of hump days," St. Viator coach Patrick Gaeger said. "I have to give credit to (former St. Viator coach Bill Sanford) for starting all this. We have a group of resilient kids. And when you see boys who want it more than another group, you get the outcome you see today."
The Lions jumped out to a 4-1 lead after one quarter on a pair of goals from Nicky Pastore, and a goal each from Emerson McGrath and Cade Faulkner.
Loyola showed why it has been one of the top teams in the state in the last 21 years. The Ramblers scored three consecutive goals to tie the game midway through the second quarter.
But this was a Lions team on a mission.
St. Viator scored four consecutive goals with Faulkner and Pastore each scoring and McGrath tallying twice to put the Lions up 8-4 midway through the third quarter.
Loyola scored twice to cut the margin to 8-6 with 8:25 left to play.
Faulkner, who is headed to play at Utah next season, gave the Lions some breathing room. His goal with 6:19 left made it 9-6.
"Loyola and New Trier have won the state title for the last 22 years," Faulkner said. "We are going to be remembered as the team that broke that streak."
St. Viator had to hang on from there.
Loyola did score with 3:48 left to make it 9-7. But Viator goalie Jack Hartman came up huge down the stretch. The sophomore had seven saves, two key ones in the final two minutes to preserve the victory.
"We have practiced all year for this," Hartman said. "You knew you have to be able to stand in there and do it. You also have to rely on your defense and know that they will be there."