This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
04/24/2016 12:00 AMThe North Branford boys’ lacrosse team is only in its second varsity campaign and way ahead of schedule, according to Head Coach Dave Carpenter. At the beginning of the season, Carpenter set a realistic expectation for his team to go 8-8, but considering that the T-Birds have stormed out of the gates with a 6-1 record, he’s since amended that goal.
“We showed up and beat a few teams that we lost to last year. They’ve been close games, but we were able to pull them out. Now, I can see us finishing 10-6 or 11-5. It could be even better,” Carpenter said. “At this point, the sky is the limit. The guys are focused and we have a transfer that hasn’t even stepped on the field yet. He’s going to help the team out a lot.”
On April 19, North Branford traveled to Morgan and squeaked out a 12-11 victory. The T-Birds had lost a pair of lopsided contests (20-2 and (21-7) against Morgan last spring and so the recent victory showed much they’ve improved.
“Confidence plays a big factor. We play every team twice in the conference. We lost 20-2 last year. The second time around we played them, they showed up to our field and we looked defeated before the game started. The guys thought we had zero chance,” Carpenter said. “This year, they know we’re right there with everybody in the conference. They know they can play with these teams now. Last year, they were nervous and hesitant. We would just shut down and give the game away.”
North Branford held an 8-4 lead at the half, but the Huskies rallied, and the two squads were tied in the final minute. Coach Carpenter drew up a play and senior Mike Pantera followed by burying the game-winning goal with 22 seconds left. Brian McKee and Jack Myers each had three goals in the win, while Nico Sommo and Adam Burkle both scored twice and Nik Allain scored once. Freshman goalie Noah Taylor made 15 saves to earn the victory.
“We have six guys that have scored a lot of our points on our team. Nobody has 60 or 70 points, while everybody else has five. When someone tries to shut one down, the others step up. We have a lot of threats, so if anybody has a bad game, the others step up with plenty of goals,” Carpenter said. “It’s hard to key on us. You can only have four long sticks out there, so whoever has the short matchup is where we’re going. Our offense has been very strong, but we also have a new freshman goalie that has been playing very well. We never had a goalie that’s played more than a year or two before. I asked kids to step up in the past, but it makes a difference when you’ve had a kid that’s been playing there for six or seven years.”
Then on April 21, North Branford traveled to Cromwell and routed the Panthers 19-6. The Thunderbirds jumped out to a quick 12-2 lead and coasted to victory. Myers scored a game-high five goals, Burkle added four, and Brian McKee netted three. Dillon Blake scored twice, plus Sean McKee, Ryan Gries, Sommo, Dylan Martinik, and Nick Barrett all added a goal. Burkle also finished with a team-high six assists. Taylor and AJ Fiondella combined to make 12 saves for the win.
“They’re in the boat we were in last year. They are a first-year as varsity program, so we ran through our offense,” said Carpenter of Cromwell. “I told them not to force anything. Run offense, work off ball, and we will get our shots. That’s exactly what happened.”
With all his team’s weapons and its quick-strike offense, Coach Carpenter feels confident that the T-Birds can compete at both the conference and state levels this season.
“We’re a big transition team. We push transition in unsettled situations. Our attack is very good 4-versus-3 and 5-versus-4. Anytime someone is unsettled, we push towards goal. We’re exciting to watch,” Carpenter said. “Through transition we’ll generate a ton of shots per game. I don’t have them hold back.”
From the Sidelines
The captains for North Branford boys’ lacrosse this season are seniors Mike Pantera, Adam Burkle, and Tanner Opie, plus junior Nico Sommo.
North Branford topped last season’s win total in just five games this year.
The T-Birds have put 252 shots on goal thus far this season and are scoring an average of 14 goals per game.
Brian McKee and Jack Myers have netted 20 goals apiece, while Adam Burkle has a team-high 21 assists and 35 points.