RFH Standouts Stave Off CBA's Late Surge in Conference Finals

This year's Shore Conference finals, hosted by Monmouth University at Kessler Field, featured a top-seeded Christian Brothers Academy (14-5) squad riding a 6-game winning streak and looking to win their first conference title in over a decade. On the other end, #2 seed Rumson-Fair Haven (13-6) came in hot as well looking to extend their 8-game winning streak and capture their 11th Shore Conference title in program history.   Both sides know each other well, with CBA having slightly edged out RFH in early April, and it was apparent with the feeling-out process both offenses went through in the early stages of this game. Both defensive units were on fire early, with the Colts led by senior standout goalie [player_tooltip player_id='77340' first='Shayne' last='Boresen'] (Manhattan), who tallied 17 saves, and the Bulldogs led by junior net-minder Peter Kessler, who finished with 10 saves, shutting out CBA in the first quarter and allowing only one goal in the entire half, leading 4-1 at the break.   RFH spread the wealth offensively and got help from their sophomore young guns like [player_tooltip player_id='171604' first='Kevin' last='Collard'] and [player_tooltip player_id='45464' first='Michael' last='Marino'], who each scored a goal as well as [player_tooltip player_id='165837' first='Teddy' last='Whitehouse'] who cashed in two. Senior star attackman [player_tooltip player_id='37838' first='Luke' last='Lydon'] (Boston University) tallied a goal along with junior stud defensemen [player_tooltip player_id='123612' first='Danny' last='Sullivan'] (Virginia), who made his presence felt in transition for the first goal of his career.   The Colts never gave up and continued to chip away at the lead thanks to stellar face-off work from senior [player_tooltip player_id='121685' first='John' last='Little'] (Villanova). After a slow start to the game, their offensive unit found its footing, starting with none other than sophomore attackman [player_tooltip player_id='168255' first='Danny' last='Varone'] who recorded a hat trick. Classmate [player_tooltip player_id='165360' first='Jackson' last='Chaney'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='177573' first='Christian' last='Fox'] (Notre Dame) each added a goal, and senior midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='34290' first='Caden' last='Lucich'] (Ursinus) racked up a pair of goals on the day.   CBA found themselves down 9-5 late in the final frame and put forth a valiant effort to string together three goals, the last of which came with under 15 seconds left, but a great save by Kessler on the ensuing possession capped off the victory for the Bulldogs, and the celebration began.   Standouts:    Ahmann had a great game for the Bulldogs, imposing his will on the defense and leading all scorers with 4 points (3G, 1A), while finding success in a variety of ways. He opened up the scoring by using his speed to get a step on his matchup from the top and when no slide came, the Haverford commit hammered it home. He used the same tactic on his 2nd tally, while also initiating contact with his defender to create space for a shot. His hat trick goal came in the final frame when RFH was looking to put the nail in the coffin. In an unsettled set, Ahmann corralled the ball and pulled up for 15 yards out to beat Boresen on a low bounce shot. His lone assist came on a transition chance where he connected with [player_tooltip player_id='165837' first='Teddy' last='Whitehouse'] and displayed his unselfishness to find the open man. The Mad Dog product is currently 4th in points (38) on the team, but can elevate his game and be the key piece of an offense when called upon.     Whitehouse is an exciting young prospect to watch as he's only a sophomore yet trailing only [player_tooltip player_id='37838' first='Luke' last='Lydon'] for the most point on the team. He finished with two goals on the day, both of which were generated by his off-ball movement and high lacrosse IQ. His first score came on a fast break where Ahmann hit him on the low-post and without much of an angle, Whitehouse hitched upfield for a better angle and buried the shot. His only other goal came in the fourth quarter when his brother, Joseph, found him on a backdoor cut from X for an easy dunk on the crease. The Leading Edge product has a great feel for the defense and times his cuts well to find open passing lanes. He's also shown to have a great dodging ability with a quick first step and the ability to use either hand and be effective. I would imagine Whitehouse is already on many coaches' radars from the summer circuit and from watching his performance at the varsity level as a sophomore.     Boresen looked to be unstoppable at times on this matchup, showcasing his athleticism and effort along the way. I tallied 17 saves on the day for the Manhattan commit and he put on a clinic in the first half recording 9 saves and was a big reason why the game did not get out of hand early. He saw a lot of shots from the Bulldogs but used his body to his advantage, making multiple kick saves and coming out of his crease when necessary to help his team. On numerous possessions he came up with back-to-back saves on close rebounds and used his awareness to find the ball and make a play. The SouthShore product showed hustle to the end lines and made smart plays in the clearing game with sharp passes and staying active as an outlet if needed. Late in the game when the Colts needed the ball, Boresen came out of his crease to be an extra defender for his squad, which eventually turned into a caused turnover, allowing CBA to mount a comeback.     Varone is a jolt of energy for the CBA offense with his speed, skill and marksmanship to find openings and be effective. He finished with a hat trick in this matchup, all of which came in the second half. His first came on a hard alley dodge where he found space from a teammate's pick and buried a low-to-low screamer. The Leading Edge product strung the top left corner on his next goal, sweeping across the top to get his hands free and unloading. Varone also did damage from behind the net where he took advantage of a short-stick matchup, beating him up the field and sneaking it past Kessler with almost no angle to the goal. He is a quick and crafty dodger and it will be exciting to watch him grow throughout his high school career.     Little was clutch for his team and stayed consistent and efficient throughout this game. He recorded 14 face-off wins at a 70% clip, winning 5 of the first 7 draws and did his best to control the tempo and the time of possession for his team. The Sweetlax product is a gritty and tough matchup to face for the opposition due to his strength and speed at the whistle and his ability to generate quick offense. In the third frame, Little took a wide angle to the net off of a ground ball and used his body to work his way into the middle for a high percentage take and connected to extend the lead. He's comfortable with the rock and doesn't put himself into turnover situations too much. The Villanova commit was an integral part of CBA's second half resurgence and was clutch late in the game when trying to attempt the comeback.

This year's Shore Conference finals, hosted by Monmouth University at Kessler Field, featured a top-seeded Christian Brothers Academy (14-5) squad riding a 6-game winning streak and looking to win their first conference title in over a decade. On the other end, #2 seed Rumson-Fair Haven (13-6) came in hot as well looking to extend their 8-game winning streak and capture their 11th Shore Conference title in program history.