Friars Over Flyers: St. Anthony's Wins 7th Straight Title, 13-12

The rubber match between Chaminade and St. Anthony's has long been appointment viewing for Long Island lacrosse fans, and Wednesday night delivered another instant classic.   Much like last year's title game, Chaminade surged ahead early and built a three-goal first-half lead, only for St. Anthony's to answer with a decisive run. The Friars opened the second half with five straight goals, scored in the closing seconds of the third quarter to take a 12-10 lead into the fourth, then added another midway through the final frame.   The Flyers answered with two more goals to set up a dramatic finish, but St. Anthony's long pole [player_tooltip player_id='165405' first='Ryan' last='Lasko'] got his stick on a pass to seal the victory for the Friars, who also received an 11-save performance from Loyola-bound goalie [player_tooltip player_id='21434' first='Dylan' last='Rappaport'] in the win.    It's hard to imagine a better way to go out than dropping a career high against your archrival in the final high school game of your career. An unexpected hero, Atkinson delivered the kind of clutch performance that will live in recent Friar lore. He got the scoring started less than a minute into the game on a furious S-dodge, attacking a shorty, switching back to his off-hand, throwing a subtle fake to move the best goalie in the country, and finishing low. Atkinson's next was a high beauty on the run, then he got the hat trick on a lefty bouncer that went five-hole off of an assist by [player_tooltip player_id='17521' first='Dylan' last='Harrigan']. In the middle of the third quarter, Atkinson scrapped to strip a Flyer defender near the endline, which led to another crucial Friar goal.   The future Bulldog has a strong first step and game-breaking speed that allows him to get through to the second level of the defense with regularity. He's a super heady player with excellent skills and a high compete level, a few more qualities that will serve him well as he heads to Bryant, a program that lost a handful of its top middies.     After popping off for four goals and four assists on this same stage a year ago, Harrigan was back at it once again, recording a hat trick that included two critical second half goals. He got on the stat sheet via a blast on EMO that tied that game at 4-4 a minute into the second quarter, then registered an assist a few minutes later. Just like last year, he was at his best when his team needed him the most. Leading 11-10 with the third quarter winding down, he executed a little backdoor cut, caught a pass from five-star [player_tooltip player_id='17446' first='Jacob' last='Johnston'], and nailed a lefty jumper that found the low corner. It was a goal that helped seize back momentum after the Flyers had scored roughly 30 seconds earlier. Midway through the fourth quarter, he showed off his impeccable chemistry with fellow Terp [player_tooltip player_id='45399' first='Danny' last='Rooney'], acting on Rooney's signal to cut against the Flyer zone, then burying one on the doorstep.   In terms of his skill set, Harrigan is a savvy shooter who gets to his spots, works well without the ball, and has excellent hands and wrists, not to mention a hard-nosed mindset well-suited for the Big Ten. I can see it taking a year for him to get acclimated to the next level, but he looks destined to be a regular contributor for the Terps. Get him on the field working in tandem with Rooney in some capacity and good things tend to happen.     Rooney's growth over the past two years has been impossible to ignore. From the summer before his junior season to last spring and into his senior campaign, he continually elevated his game. For my money, he should be the frontrunner for Long Island Player of the Year. He netted a hat trick, and was instrumental during the Friars' six-goal run, notching an assist to [player_tooltip player_id='16391' first='Charlie' last='Cacciabaudo'] with 33 seconds left in the first half, coming off a pick to finish nearside 21 seconds into the third quarter, then quick-sticking one home five minutes later.   Over the years, his lacrosse acumen has been well-documented (after all, he's the son of a coach), along with his explosive dodging ability and knack for initiating offense from all over. He's spent plenty of time below GLE setting up his teammates, but one could argue that he's at his best from the wings and up top. Projecting as a college middie, I feel even better about his chances of seeing significant playing time as a freshman compared to a year ago. Wildly dynamic, he's someone who artfully mixes up his planes and placement as well as anyone in the class, and has a quiet swagger that accompanies his skill set that's fun to watch.     Sim's confidence this spring has been off the charts compared to where it was last summer, and it has translated into significant production in impressive fashion. On Monday night, he pumped in five goals to finish with 39 on the season — over the Flyers' final 10 games, the Cornell commit notched four or more goals on five different occasions. He got Chaminade on the board by winning his matchup back to the middle of the field and going high to low offside, then found the net four minutes later on a pretty give-and-go with [player_tooltip player_id='16504' first='James' last='Gillis'] from the wing, showing off his handle and soft hands around the net. Sim finished the job on two separate beautiful assists from [player_tooltip player_id='16388' first='John' last='Balsamo'], and both tallies made things interesting as Chaminade tried to close the gap on SA's second half lead.   I can't say enough good things about how much his game has progressed, as he's making a number of programs pay for slow-playing or passing on him in September. His play will be critical for a new-look Chaminade offense next year, and I wouldn't be surprised if he bumps down to attack, though he's undoubtedly a college middie.     Matched up against longtime teammate and fellow five-star [player_tooltip player_id='17165' first='Ethan' last='Bramoff'], Gillis clearly won the battle in the first half and finished the night with four goals and two assists. It was one of the best performances he's had in a Chaminade uniform, reinforcing why he's viewed as a consensus top-two recruit — all while battling through a back injury that sidelined him for six games. If I'm not mistaken, Gillis shot 4-of-5 in the first half. He broke a first quarter tie after [player_tooltip player_id='165193' first='Finn' last='Pizzo'] intercepted a clearing pass and passed it over to Gillis, who shrugged off a body blow and scored while fading to his left. Later on, he won his matchup up top with a split-to-roll, slipping through the sliding defender, and canning a shot from 10 yards despite a white jersey trying to kill him. With 80 seconds left in the first half, he executed a pretty inside roll against Bramoff to make it 8-5, snagged the ensuing GB off the face-off, then buried a hammer on a pass from Balsamo.

The rubber match between Chaminade and St. Anthony's has long been appointment viewing for Long Island lacrosse fans, and Wednesday night delivered another instant classic.