Mallards To Host ESIAC Title Game

BERLIN- Worcester Prep's boys' varsity lacrosse team breezed through its Eastern Shore Independent Athletic Conference (ESIAC) tournament semifinal on a damp, drizzly afternoon on Wednesday, beating visiting Salisbury School, 14-5, to advance to the title game.

The Mallards beat the Dragons, 14-5, on Wednesday to return to the ESIAC championship game again after taking a one-year hiatus from the conference. Worcester last won the conference title in 2007, beating Salisbury School, 12-1, in the final.

Before the Mallards could punch their ticket to the conference title game, however, they still had to tangle with old rival Salisbury School in the semifinals at home on Wednesday in dreary, wet conditions. The Mallards jumped out to an early 3-0 lead before even three minutes elapsed on two goals by Billy Tyler and one by Ryan McGuire. Justin Butler then got his offensive game cranked up, scoring three goals in a span of about four minutes in the first quarter including the last with just 16 seconds left in the period.

After goals by Alex Ternahan and Brad Harris extended the lead to 8-0 in the second quarter, Salisbury got on the board late in the period to cut the lead to 8-1 at the half. In the third quarter, Butler scored two more times to extend the lead to 11-1, the second coming on a nice assist by Tyler. In one of the better plays of the day, McGuire hit Jake Emche on the crease for a quick-stick goal with just under six minutes left in the third to extend the lead to 12-1.

The Dragons scored twice in the waning minutes of the third to cut the lead to 12-3, but Worcester's Harris scored with just 16 seconds left in the period to get one of the back and the period ended with the Mallards on top, 13-3.

With just over seven minutes left in the fourth, Worcester's Zach Harman got on the board to extend the lead to 14-4. Harman finished with a nice game, scoring a goal and getting an assist. Salisbury scored a late goal and the game ended 14-5. Worcester will host the ESIAC championship game at home this afternoon against either Sussex Tech or Gunston, which faced each other in the other semifinal in a game played too late to be included in this edition.