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04/22/2017 12:00 AMThe Branford boys’ lacrosse team recently completed a prosperous stretch of contests that saw the Hornets win three of four to improve to 4-3 for the season. Branford posted a 17-4 home win over North Branford on April 15 and then prevailed 9-4 at West Haven two days later. Branford took a 17-5 home loss against Guilford on April 19, but bounced back with an 11-8 victory at Morgan two days after that to get above the .500 threshold.
With nine games remaining in the regular season, Head Coach Jim May’s squad is already more than halfway home toward recording the seven wins it needs to qualify for the Class M State Tournament. Last year, Branford went 8-9 and lost in the qualifying round of the Class M bracket.
“I believe we will make the playoffs because of how well they have been moving the ball on offense and how well the defensive coaches have gotten these young players who are inexperienced to come along so rapidly,” said May, who’s in his seventh year as Branford’s head coach, his 18th with the program, and is assisted by offensive coaches Frank Barron and Joe O’Keefe, plus defensive coaches Joe Zeuli and Greg Kamedulski. “We faced our two best opponents in [Fairfield Prep] and Guilford...So that being said, we could lose the next [nine] games, but we also have a chance to win the next [nine] games. It all depends on our heart and hustle.”
Coach May said the biggest keys in his team’s pursuit of a playoff bid and a winning record are the play of his two goalies and two face-off specialists. Seniors Nick Cordero and Kordele Brown have done a fine job in net, especially considering that neither athlete had played lacrosse before this year. Cordero is the starter, but Brown has also seen time in several games, and Coach May said both keepers “have done an awesome job.” Cordero made 10 saves and Brown had two in Branford’s win over non-conference opponent North Branford.
In the face-off circle, junior Mike White and fellow midfielder Declan O’Brien, a sophomore, combined to win 78 percent of their draws, allowing the Hornets to control the ball early and often as they held a 7-0 lead after the first period in the 17-4 victory.
Sophomore midfielder Robbie Lionetti and senior captain attacker Noah Pantani scored four goals apiece, while junior attacker Matt Potter netted three. Also scoring goals were senior captain midfielder Harrison Smith, sophomore defender Mike Parker, O’Brien, James Dering, fellow senior midfielder Brian Nichols, and junior attacker Webb Templeton. Smith handed out three assists with sophomore midfielder Will Riggs, White, Dering, Templeton, Potter, Lionetti, and Pantani all contributing one. Pantani and Smith captain the Hornets with fellow senior Brennan Beauton, a defender.
“Our main goal was to make sure their attackers Dylan Blake and Conner Odell did not touch the ball and, because we won so many face-offs, that helped us achieve our goal,” Coach May said. “We just got in our main set and everyone was on point with their passing and catching. That isn’t always the case, but in this game especially, we were flourishing in that situation. I was pleased with the effort and the overall teamwork.”
On April 17, the Hornets played at SCC foe West Haven and won a 9-4 decision. White and O’Brien combined for a 77-percent success rate on face-offs, while Cordero stopped 10 shots for Branford, which led from the outset. Pantani had another big game with five goals and two assists, Templeton buried a pair of goals and added an assist, Lionetti also scored twice, Potter had two assists, and Nichols, Smith, White, and Lionetti had one assist apiece.
“It was good to see our senior captain Noah Pantani take the game into his own hands, which is what we needed,” said May, who also credited the overall play of junior Marc Funaro in his first season on defense this spring. “Our shot selection was off and their goalie, who is a freshman, had a great game, so it was tough to get things going because of the zone that West Haven ran.”
Branford’s next matchup was at home against fellow SCC squad Guilford, which broke open a 6-3 game by outscoring the Hornets 11-2 in the latter half to get the 17-5 victory. Dering scored two goals, while Parker, Riggs, and Lionetti all had one. Lionetti and freshman attacker Jack Manware both had an assist for the Hornets, who received 15 saves from Cordero.
Branford promptly shook off the loss by recording an 11-8 win at non-conference squad Morgan in Clinton on April 22. Potter notched four goals for Branford, White and Lionetti scored two apiece, plus Parker, Riggs, and Pantani all had one goal. Pantani also dished off two assists and Manware had one. Cordero made 26 saves to help the Hornets improve to 4-3.
“We played good enough to win against a good team that’s well coached,” Coach May said.