Austin Prep snares title
NORTH BOYS LACROSSE
For the first time in program history, the Austin Prep boys lacrosse team is taking home a sectional championship. Beating a familiar foe to win it makes it even better.
The second-seeded Cougars used an onslaught of goals and excellent faceoff coverage throughout to take down the three-time defending sectional and reigning state champions, No. 4 Ipswich, 13-7, in the Division 3 North final yesterday at Woburn High.
“It was nice to get a little bit of revenge,” said AP coach Peter Smyth after losing to Ipswich last season in the sectional semifinals. “That’s a hell of a program and they are going to be here for years and years to come.”
Austin Prep (17-2) ran out to a quick 4-0 lead as senior Joseph O’Connor scored two goals and Ben Yanaksis added another, and the Cougars stretched the edge to 8-2 at the half.
The duo of sophomore Michael Chabra and freshman Zachary Barden took over in the third quarter. Chabra finished with four tallies and two assists, with three goals coming in the second half as AP pushed the lead to 12-4 heading into the final quarter.
Barden capped his four-goal night with the Prep’s closing tally. For Ipswich (13-7), senior captains Pat Gillis and Kevin Swenson each had two goals.
Reading 10, Winchester 7 — The fourth-seeded Rockets battled back from a 5-0 deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the No. 3 Sachems and win the Div. 2 North title at Connolly Memorial Stadium in Woburn.
“It shows the characters that we have on our team and the quality of players,” said Reading coach Charlie Hardy.
It was a goal right at the end of the third quarter from senior Jack Geiger (three goals) that gave Reading (14-7) its first lead, 7-6. Geiger also tied it at 6-6 midway through the third. Senior Jack Stanton (two goals) and sophomore Colin Comerford
added the last three tallies for the Rockets.
In net, sophomore Charlie Giuliotti stopped 14 shots, including four in the first quarter and eight total in the second half as Winchester was held scoreless for over 33 minutes between the second and fourth quarters.
In the first half, Winchester (16-4) scored five times in a 3:37span, starting with a tally from senior Jack Rockhold and was capped by junior Jake Mabardy, to build a 5-0 lead with 2:27 left in the first. Sophomore Charlie Ward assisted on both tallies.
Reading ended the quarter with two goals in less than 30 seconds from junior Michael Tobin (four goals) and senior Jack Geiger to make it 5-2. The Rockets then continued their surge as Tobin had three tallies in the second to make it 6-5 after 24 minutes.
Acton-Boxboro 9, Andover 4 — Tim Kuta netted a hat trick, scoring all three of his goals in the second half, as the No. 3 Colonials pulled away from the No.8 Golden Warriors to claim the Div. 1 North title at Concord-Carlisle High School. It is A-B’s first sectional title since 2014.
“I was in eighth grade when I saw our guys beat Duxbury to win it all,” said Kuta. “Coming full circle, now being a senior, it’s the greatest feeling ever.”
The sides were tied at two to begin the second half, but Acton-Boxboro (15-7) began the third quarter on a 5-0 run highlighted by a pair of goals from Kuta to open up a 7-2 lead. Bret Miller got his second goal of the game to pull the Golden Warriors within four going into the final quarter.
Andover (13-9) got as close as three in the fourth with Alex Trottier finishing from eight yards out. The Colonials, however, refused to be denied.
Jake Erickson finished in transition off a feed from Jake Durkin to put Acton-Boxboro up 8-4 with less than five minutes to play and Kuta completed the hat trick to seal the Colonials’ sectional title.