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06/14/2021 12:00 AMThe Hand boys’ lacrosse squad has once again proven itself one of the top teams in Connecticut after reaching the Class M State Tournament final and just barely missed out on hoisting a championship banner this year. The Tigers ended up taking a 5-4 defeat in overtime versus Weston at McDougall Stadium in Trumbull on June 12. Hand finished the year with an overall record of 15-6.
Head Coach John Orlando was proud of the Tigers for giving their all out on the field this year. Being runners up to the eventual state champions is no small feat, and sometimes, a single player can tilt the result.
“Our kids showed up ready to play and competed hard. We ran into a hot goaltender from Weston. We basically doubled them up on shots for the game, 49-26. We hit seven posts on those shots, as well,” said Orlando. “Their goalie made 20 saves. Our goalie played very well, and our defense played really well, too. We had looks, and we just didn’t finish. It got tight at the end, and anything can happen late in the game in a championship.”
The final was a low-scoring affair between No. 6 seed Hand and No. 4 seed Weston, as evidenced by the 5-4 final score in extra time. Hand got out to the early lead when All-State Second Team short-stick defensive midfielder Kevin Sandor scored the first goal of the game with a little under five minutes left in the first quarter.
Weston tied the score with a little over a minute remaining in the frame, senior William Flanagan put the Tigers back on top 2-1. Weston managed to pull even at 2-2 just past the midpoint of the second quarter.
In the second half, the Trojans pulled ahead 3-2 just over a minute into the third quarter, and about halfway through the frame the Tigers knotted the score again thanks to a goal by senior Robby Swank.
In the fourth quarter, All-SCC Second Team senior defenseman Patch Flanagan put the Tigers up 4-3 with fewer than three minutes remaining in regulation, but Weston managed to score with just over 16 seconds left to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Hand’s All-American, All-State First Team, and All-SCC First Team goaltender Ryan Brodiere make a slew of defensive stops throughout regulation and overtime, withstanding a total of 28 shots and making eight saves. Unfortunately, Weston was able to squeak one into the goal with 27 seconds left in overtime to take the win over the Tigers.
As great as Hand played, Coach Orlando knows that no matter how hard a team plays, sometimes a championship comes down to a fraction of an inch one way or the other.
“Our kids played really well. Sometimes the ball doesn’t drop for you and that was one of those games,” Orlando said. “We hit the post a total of eight times in that game, and five times early in the third quarter. That trend started in the second half of the semis against Masuk.”
On June 8, the Tigers earned their way to the state final with a decisive 14-3 victory over No. 7 seed Masuk at the Madison Surf Club. Hand jumped out to a large lead early outscoring Masuk 6-1 in the first quarter. By the end of the first half, the Tigers had an 11-2 advantage. The scoring slowed down in the second half with Hand only getting two goals in the third and one in the fourth. Masuk also scored a goal in the final frame, resulting in the 14-3 final tally.
All-SCC First Team and All-SCC First Team senior attacker Ryan Collins supplied one goal and three assists in the win. All-State Second Team sophomore attacker Sam Sisk provided three goals and an assist, while All-State First Team and All-SCC First Team senior midfielder Braeden Kosiewicz tallied a goal and an assist. All-SCC Second team senior midfielder Tatum Fitzmaurice added a goal and an assist, and All-State First Team and All-SCC first team junior long stick defensive midfielder Seth Sweitzer dished an assist in the victory. Senior Jared Martin scored two goals, as did Swank. Mike McGuirk notched a goal and an assist, while Sandor, Patch Flanagan, and junior Declan DiProspero added one goal apiece.
Coach Orlando believed that the semifinal win was a powerful moment for a senior-laden Tigers team to be able to compete at home with a raucous crowd cheering them on.
“I think we had nine different goal scorers in that game. It was a home game at The Surf Club, and we had great support from the community and students. I told the guys that this would probably never happen again, a six-seed hosting a semifinal,” Orlando said. “It was really crowded. The stands weren’t totally full, but there were a lot of people there. Masuk showed up with a fair amount of people, too.”
Hand out shot Masuk by a 59-10 margin, and Bordiere made five saves in net. The Tigers also received solid defense from All-State First Team and All-SCC Second Team senior defenseman John Gagliardi.
Hand has been one of the top teams in the state recently, but the Tigers have had some difficulty clearing that final hurdle in securing a state title. The Tigers will bid a fond farewell to a large graduating class, but Coach Orlando believes that Hand has plenty of core talent to weather the roster changes next year.
“Since 2014, we’ve lost to the eventual state champion, and in five of the last six seasons we made it to the championship. Based on all the parameters we dealt with and the late start, we were just thrilled to get a season. We had some contact tracing in our first four games, and all our losses came against the top-10 teams in the state. All in all, the coaching staff is very proud of the team’s accomplishments,” said Orlando. “We have a good core with about 10 guys returning after graduating a total of 18 seniors. So we’re not completely bare, we have some really good guys returning. The kids were going out on their own and practicing to stay ready. They are very committed.”
The Hand boys’ lacrosse team’s roster features seniors Ryan Stolpe, Will Flanagan, Tatum Fitzmaurice, Ben Sisk, Jack Flynn, Jared Martin, Ryan Bordiere, Hayden Pavlovic, Terron John, John Gaglardi, Aiden French, Robby Swank, Darrell Brake, Dane DiProspero, Ryan Collins, Evan Hubbs, Michael Roche, and Braeden Kosiewicz; juniors Patch Flanagan, Mike McGuirk, Kevin Sandor, Seth Sweitzer, Matthew Rossi, Jack Balletto, Declan DiProspero, Nicholas Lynch, Jack Gara, and Brendan Walsh; and sophomores Sam Sisk, William Kleine, and Robert Cushing.