Scotch Plains-Fanwood Outlasts West Morris, 14-11

Featured in this contest, the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Raiders (9-1) have been in the driver's seat all season long, with their only loss coming at the hands of undefeated Summit (8-0) in an OT battle, while the traveling West Morris Wolfpack (9-0) came in perfect to start the year with multiple blowout wins and all of the confidence in the world.   The first half was a tale of two quarters for both teams, with the Wolfpack being held to just one goal as the Raiders netted four for themselves from four different players to jump out to a hot start, but West Morris would battle back to shutout SPF in the second frame and featured four different goal scorers of their own to take a 5-4 lead at the break.   West Morris extended their lead early in the second half, but SPF started to create separation by outscoring the Wolfpack in each of the final two quarters to close them out in exciting fashion. Upperclassmen offensive leaders [player_tooltip player_id='175101' first='Nick' last='Homer'] (Hobart) and [player_tooltip player_id='176529' first='Ryan' last='Scarpa'] both completing their hat tricks in the second half along with Wolfpack senior Swiss army knife, [player_tooltip player_id='71567' first='Luke' last='Gouse'] (Maryland) doing everything he could to keep this game tight.   Other key contributors consisted of seniors Matt Krantz with six saves, Brian Kloepfer recording a goal and four assists, and Vance Slack netting two goals. On the other end, West Morris found production from seniors Jake Garofalo (Vassar), who tallied two goals and an assist, Mike Finlay with a pair of goals, and sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='176547' first='Christian' last='Cardello'] and [player_tooltip player_id='176549' first='Alex' last='Svoboda'] each with finding the back of the net twice.   The Wolfpack's next game will be hosting Morris Knolls (5-3) on Thursday, April 23rd, while the Raiders will be traveling to take on Bernards (4-7) on Saturday, April 25th.    Brown was seen on both ends of the field making plays for his team in clutch moments down the stretch. He tallied a goal and two assists, but defensively he stood tall and played fast and loose, showcasing his speed in the open field to create separation in transition. He does a good job of pestering his matchup with poke and slap checks and fights hard for ground balls with his large frame and physical approach. The Leading Edge product showed great fundamentals on loose balls and was shot out of a cannon once he had possession, leading to his offensive production. His only goal was the nail in the coffin late in the game on an empty-netter, and his two assists came because he stayed aggressive and proved to be a threat with the ball, making smart, accurate passes to his attackmen.     Scarpa had a great outing for the Raiders, showing his versatility as both a passer and shooter and making it tough on his opponents to defend. He finished with 4 goals and an assist and displayed his effectiveness as the point man on transition chances which SPF feasted on. His assist came on a slick skip pass on the fast break, however, he would've had a few more if lacrosse counted the "hockey assist" with his ability to make the smart plays and setting up his teammates for success. As a shooter, the Tri-State product showcased how dangerous he can be with time and room with all of his goals coming with his feet set, allowing him to survey the goal and snipe corners on the opposing goaltender. He is currently 2nd on the team in goals and will look to continue to be a key piece to this Raider offense.     Homer is an all-around playmaker for his team, finding soft spots in the defense and always showing to be a threat with a rocket of a shot in his arsenal, and not afraid to let it fly. The Hobart commit totaled four goals and an assist and found his groove early with a few goals on the doorstep, set up by great passing from his teammates, and cashed in on each of them with ease. However, the highlight of the game occurred when he came from X and released a back-handed shot with nearly no angle late in the third frame to extend the lead and fire up the home crowd. Being that he draws so much attention as the leading scorer for his team, he also showcased great vision of the field to get his teammates good looks at the cage and made some big plays in unsettled situations, keeping himself in the play to make an impact.     Gouse is a show-stopper who rarely comes off the field, showing the ability to control the face-off X while also doubling up as potentially one of the best players on the offensive unit for West Morris. He won 16 face-offs at a 57% clip and also recorded a hat trick and two helpers, with each of his assists coming in the first half when his squad was looking to get things going offensively. He is a big, strong player with the speed to beat his matchup and initiate offense, but also the vision to find open teammates once he draws a double-team. On his first goal, the Maryland commit did a great job of using a screen from his teammate to create separation and get his hands free down the alley, stinging a low-to-high rip. He had back-to-back goals in the 4th quarter, helping his team stay in the game with clean wins off the draw and finding lanes for a transition shot. Gouse had a tough assignment against sophomore Nate Filler, but did a great job of fighting hard on loose balls and staying available offensively for his team.     Buckley saw a ton of shots in this game from high-caliber shooters for the Raiders and was a big reason why West Morris kept this game so close. He had a rough first quarter, but once he settled in, he was seeing the ball well and denying opponents at almost every turn with momentum-shifting saves. He did a good job of controlling the ball, not allowing too many second chances and when it was needed, he came out of his crease to fight for possessions and stayed active in the clearing game. Buckley finished with 14 saves, some of which came in just a few possessions, with his ability to use his body and deflect shots, but then also regain his composure and use his athleticism to make another. He has been a huge part of his team's success so far this season and if West Morris is going to make a deep playoff run this year, they'll need the same kind of production in crunch time come June.

Featured in this contest, the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Raiders (9-1) have been in the driver's seat all season long, with their only loss coming at the hands of undefeated Summit (8-0) in an OT battle, while the traveling West Morris Wolfpack (9-0) came in perfect to start the year with multiple blowout wins and all of the confidence in the world.