Nazareth’s confidence high with win over Parkland

It’s been a wildly successful sports year at Nazareth Area High School.

The Blue Eagles have claimed District 11 championships in football, wrestling, girls basketball and even competitive cheer.

They’ve reached district title games in both boys and girls soccer. They’ve enjoyed their share of big wins in other sports, as well.

Maybe, just maybe, the most surprising ‘W’ a Nazareth team has enjoyed during the 2020-21 school year, though, came last week in boys lacrosse. The Blue Eagles edged out traditional powerhouse Parkland, 6-5, in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference opener for both programs.

The victory is Nazareth’s first over Parkland in 10 years.

Junior attacker Angelo Luzzetti tallied the game-winner with six-anda-half minutes to play on a sidearm step down from about 12 yards away.

“I’m sure anyone who cares about lacrosse in this area was surprised by this result,” said Nazareth coach Andrew Kroeckel. “Except us. This group of kids is just different than the teams we’ve had in the past. They don’t care who or what we play. They’re not afraid of anything and they fully believe in their ability to win games.

“We don’t have many Division I recruits like so many other programs in the area but our kids still know how to play the game.”

Kroeckel is confident his club can compete, and beat, anyone in District 11 this year.

Nazareth will be led by Luzzetti, who scored 40 goals and totaled 66 points as a freshman; senior goalie Sean Ament, a backup for three seasons who played brilliantly vs. Parkland, according to Kroeckel; junior midfielder/FO Broc Bender, a standout on the Blue Eagles’ championship football team; midfielders Quinn Attanasio (senior), Andrew Wells (senior) and Jacob Cole ( junior); and junior Jason Fuquay, a key cog on a solid defensive unit.

The Blue Eagles play Pleasant Valley on Tuesday, then should be challenged by Southern Lehigh and Freedom on Thursday and Friday.

“Victories like [the one vs. Parkland] can be program-changing,” Kroeckel said. “It’s validation for the kids already in the program. It shows them that everything they’ve done to get better has mattered and has been effective and has returned results. It should also show the kids at the youth level that there is more to play for than the middle of the EPC.

“The message has been to build on the Parkland victory, not live in it. But that’s hard to do when everyone is sitting at home.”

Coach Dan Dolphin’s Central Catholic Vikings are one of the perennial lacrosse powers in the EPC and District 11.

This year, the Vikings are loaded with experience and talent.

Senior Jack McGorry, a Saint Joseph’s University commit, is perhaps the area’s most explosive attackman. Senior midfielder Tyler Schifko is poised for a big spring as a University of Utah commit. Junior defender Chuck Kuczynski expects to play at Syracuse University.

There is plenty of quality depth, too.

“Our expectations are high,” said Dolphin, whose team is 3-0 and has yet to be challenged. “We have 11 seniors and 13 juniors, who along with every other lacrosse player in the Lehigh Valley, lost a year of playing lacrosse. They are excited to be playing again and want to have a memorable season.”

In his 14th year, Dolphin has witnessed the growth of lacrosse in the Lehigh Valley. He expects the 2021 season to be an unpredictable one.

“Nazareth defeating Parkland was a surprise,” Dolphin said. “However, other teams would be foolish to think Parkland is not going to be one of the top teams by the time the EPC playoffs start in May. Easton, Parkland, Emmaus, Central Catholic and Southern Lehigh are the teams to beat.

“Even before Nazareth upset Parkland, I had Nazareth, Freedom and Northwestern as my dark horses to make some noise in District 11 this year.”