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06/03/2018 12:00 AMThe Valley Regional boys’ lacrosse team recently advanced to its second straight appearance in the Shoreline Conference Tournament final, but unfortunately for the Warriors, they were unable to repeat as conference champions this year. Valley took on familiar foe Old Lyme for the Shoreline title at the Indian River Complex in Clinton and lost a 9-8 decision on May 24.
Valley had earned a 12-8 home win over Morgan in the semis to advance to its championship showdown against Old Lyme. After losing to the Wildcats in the final, the 10th-seeded Warriors took a 13-7 loss to No. 7 seed Lewis Mills in the first round of the Class S State Tournament on May 30. Valley finished its season with an overall record of 11-9.
Even though the Warriors were unable to hoist another Shoreline banner this season, Head Coach George Hudson was pleased with the way his team played to even get back to the final. Valley graduated many key athletes from last year’s squad, and so Hudson felt it was quite an accomplishment for the Warriors to turn in another winning season, while acclimating an almost entirely new group of starters.
“We graduated eight of our 10 starters. The juniors and this year’s seniors stepped up and took a leadership role,” said Coach Hudson. “We had some younger kids come in and be helpful. The leadership really got us there this year.”
Coming into the conference final, Valley and Old Lyme had split their previous two matchups this spring as the Wildcats earned a 10-8 win in Deep River on April 17 and the Warriors claimed a 13-9 road victory on May 10. In round three, the rivals battled back and forth with the Wildcats getting a go-ahead goal late in the first half for a 4-3 lead at intermission. Eventually, Old Lyme staked itself to a five-goal lead by the end third quarter. However, the Warriors fought hard all the way and, when senior captain Charlie Ferrucci scored a goal with less than five minutes left in the fourth, he tied the game at 8-8.
The Wildcats scored a goal to take a 9-8 lead with less than a minute remaining. Valley still had a chance with 15 seconds left on the clock, but Old Lyme’s goalie made a big save to seal the win. The result wasn’t what Coach Hudson wanted, although he felt proud of the Warriors for hanging in there after Old Lyme built its five-goal advantage.
“The third quarter, they got a five-goal lead. We reeled it in settled down and played smart lacrosse to get it back to the 8-8 tie in the fourth,” said Hudson. “After the late goal by Old Lyme, we had the ball with 15 seconds left in the game. We had our opportunity, but their goalie made a great save on us. It was an all-out effort. Everybody contributed.”
Ferrucci scored six of Valley’s eight goals in the conference final. The senior captain missed a few games early in the season, but came on strong once he hit the field. Originally a midfielder, Ferrucci moved into a forward position and saw great success this year.
“He came back on attack and changed the dynamic of the team,” Hudson said. “When he’s on the field, we’re a different team.”
Fellow senior Captain Soren Frantz also proved a key component of the Warriors’ leadership. Frantz played multiple positions on the field, while using a long stick that’s traditionally reserved for defensive players. In terms of stick-handling, Coach Hudson said that Frantz is the class of the Shoreline Conference. Frantz also came up with some key face-off wins in the title game.
“His stickwork is some of the best I’ve seen in a long time. He’s the best in the Shoreline,” Hudson said. “He’s a utility player, he understands the game really well, and he can play any position.”
Coach Hudson also credited junior goaltender Dylan LaPlace for his efforts in getting Valley back to the conference final. Hudson said that LaPlace handled his first varsity season with aplomb and feels that he has a bright future.
“He has his own style for sure. He’s stepped up big for us,” Hudson said. “It was his first varsity year, and he took to the position and played it well. Nothing but good things coming up for him.”
Every year, Coach Hudson’s goal is for his athletes to become better as the season progresses. With another season in the books, Hudson believes the Warriors came out of the campaign a stronger squad than when they started.
“We grew as a team throughout the year,” said Hudson. “It was ugly at times, but we learned from it. There were lessons we learned, and we grew from them.”
From the Sidelines
The Valley Regional boys’ lacrosse team’s 2018 roster featured senior captains Charlie Ferrucci and Soren Frantz; fellow seniors Nathan deJongh, Jared Dompier, and Finn Miller; juniors Sean Cole, Peter Halsey, Charlie Haughton, Nate Johnson, Jacob Klin, Dylan LaPlace, Richard Persico, and Justin Robida; sophomores William Burch, Cam Frazier, Daniel Harris, Callum Miller, and Eric Vilcheck; and freshmen Wesley Belisle, Jackson Bisson, Thomas Burch, Axel Johnson, and Keenan Pindar.
Head Coach George Hudson finished his fourth season at the helm of the Warriors and was assisted by coach Mike Orfao.
Valley’s regular-season wins came against Haddam-Killingworth (11-6 and 13-9), Cromwell (12-5 and 19-4), Old Saybrook (5-0 and 12-0), North Branford (15-7), Morgan (12-9), Old Lyme (13-9), and Suffield (forfeit).