Season ends for Eagles boys
Nine members of the Chopticon boys lacrosse team found the back of the net Wednesday night against the North Point Eagles in a 14-0 shutout win to begin the Class 4A-3A East Region Section II playoffs. The quarterfinal matchup was originally scheduled to be played at Chopticon but was moved to North Point’s turf field because of the rainy weather that has hit the area recently.
Chopticon (6-6 overall) travelled well and kept poised and controlled throughout the game as it took a 10-0 halftime lead en route to the shutout. The fourth-seeded Braves move on to the sectional semifinals where it will be at top-seeded Annapolis at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
Rian Myers, Matt Sullivan, Colt Johnson, Ty Phares and Lachlain Schuster each scored two goals for the visitors. Austin Georgory, Andrew Knight, Ryan Kennedy and Connor Neumer each added one.
Even with the loss, the fifth-seeded Eagles (5-8) celebrated another year together with team chants and team pictures after the game.
North Point head coach Stephen Sollohub said he’s seen growth in his team this season.
“Our goalie, Shane [Johnson] has been the heart and soul of the team for the past two years and it’s going to be rough next year without him.
“We’ve had ups and downs this year, but the biggest thing I want them to take out of here is you play as a team. You do it together because there’s no way you can do it alone. That’s the big thing and I think I failed at that one. Moments of brilliance — that’s what I can say about this team because when they play together, they are solid. It’s just because of the lack of experience.”
Shane Johnson said he’s learned a lot from being on the Eagles team.
“It’s been a very exciting year. I’ve learned that nothing beats grit,” he said. “There are talented teams and players out there and you have to put it all out on the field. If you’re not playing with grit, it’s not going to matter. I feel like that’s what makes this team special.
“This night is bittersweet. It’s crazy looking back over the last four years and seeing not only how far I’ve come, but the whole team.”
Prior to the boys game, the fourth-seeded North Point girls lacrosse team hosted fifth-seeded Great Mills and came away with a 18-10 victory. The Eagles (6-7) are scheduled to be at top-seeded Leonardtown at 5 p.m. today.
Ali Zedah scored nine goals for the Eagles, while Lia Willis had five. Morgan Knowlan added three and Teagan Rohrbaugh scored one. Goalie Leah Pennington made 10 saves.