BERLIN- Worcester Prep’s boys’ varsity lacrosse team rode a big third quarter to pull away from a pesky Gunston team to win its third straight Eastern Shore Independent Athletic Conference (ESIAC) championship last Friday.
Last week began with the Mallards beating Bishop McNamara, 17-1, in the Maryland Independent Lacrosse League (MILL) quarterfinals. Worcester plays in both the MILL and the ESIAC. The next day, however, the Mallards got swamped in the MILL semifinals with a 20-10 loss to Calverton, ending a bid for a title in that conference.
Hanging out there for Worcester, however, was the ESIAC championship and another date with Gunston. The Mallards had beaten Gunston twice during the regular season, but the Herons brought their A game to the ESIAC championship at Worcester in a steady drizzle last Friday.
The two teams went back and forth during the first quarter, which ended with Worcester clinging to a 3-2 lead. The same pattern played out in the second quarter as Gunston hung right with Worcester. The first half ended in a 5-5 tie.
Worcester made some key adjustments at the half and came out firing in the third quarter. The Mallards scored seven straight goals during the third, fueled by Sam Cantello and Tucker Brown, to pull away and settle the issue once and for all. After the seven goal spurt, Gunston held Worcester in check the rest of the way and chipped away at the lead, but the damage had been done and the Mallards closed out the Herons, 12-8, to win their third straight ESIAC championship.
Cantello led the way with four goals and an assist, while Brown scored twice and added four assists. Patrick Petrera and Reid Carey scored three goals each and Owen Tunis added a single goal.
