Dragons: Lake Orion shows growth in 12-4 win over Romeo in regional semifinal

ROMEO » There’s not much more of an indication needed to see how improved the Lake Orion boys lacrosse team is than a simple score comparison.

On April 14, the Dragons took on Romeo and held off the Bulldogs for a 10-8 victory.

Fast forward to Wednesday, when Romeo hosted Lake Orion in a Division 1 regional semifinal match.

The Dragons dominated the contest, holding the Bulldogs scoreless for over 36 minutes of play while earning a 12-4 victory.

“Heck yes, we are a lot better than we were the first time we played,” Lake Orion coach Ron Hebert said. “You can definitely see that. These guys did a good job of handling a very complicated plan. I have to hand it to them.”

Hebert is known for his critical demeanor, but there wasn’t much to criticize on Wednesday night.

Romeo took a 1-0 lead just 2:26 into the game when Mike Lukowski scored for the Bulldogs, but the Dragons (11-6) would then hold Romeo (9-10) scoreless until the 9:12 mark of the fourth quarter.

Locking in on Lukowski and Seth Vonhiltmayer, Lake Orion didn’t let the Romeo offense get much life.

“(Lukowski) and (Vonhiltmayer) are great. We thought we prepared for them the first time, but they were even better than what we prepared for. (Wednesday) we just said that we can’t let those guys beat us,” Hebert said. “We took them out of what they wanted to do offensively and I think that frustrated them a bit.”

After the 1-0 deficit, Lake Orion would score seven unanswered over the remainder of the first half to lead 7-1 at the break.

Sam Haynes, Andrew Parker and Luke Gannon each scored twice during the rally, while Brady Drury had two assists.

Lake Orion’s defense allowed

few scoring opportunities in the first half, Dragon goalie Noah Parilo faced just one shot on goal after Romeo’s initial score.

“They did a great job of locking off our two leading scorers, that was a big part of it. But, we really struggled to clear the ball,” Romeo coach Jack Smith said. “When we did clear it, we rushed things. That comes with an inexperienced offense.”

Lake Orion would build its lead to 9-1 early in the fourth before Romeo caught a little spark. The Bulldogs rallied off three goals in two minutes of play to create a little drama with a 9-4 deficit.

“I think the guys realized

a little too late that they can run with whoever, as long as they are playing hard,” Smith said. “Going fast and playing fast are two different things and can be hard for players to comprehend. We started to figure it out in the fourth, but it was just too late.”

Lake Orion shut the door for good with a three-goal rally to end the game. Kyle Carson netted two of the three goals, while Haynes added his third of the match. Haynes also added a pair of assists, while Brady Drury had three.

Lukowski had two goals to lead Romeo.

With the win, Lake Orion advances to the D1 regional final at Romeo High School next week. It will face fellow OAA foe, Stoney Creek in the championship game. The Cougars bested Rochester Adams in the other semifinal, 8-7. These two

didn’t meet during the regular season.

“When we have time to prepare, we are tough,” Hebert said. “Now we have some time to prepare for Stoney Creek. We have to get film on them and prepare for what they bring. They are going to be ready, so we have to continue to get better and stick to our game plan.”

Lake Orion will be seeking a third consecutive regional championship, as the Dragons collected the hardware in both 2019 and 2021.

“You want to have that legacy and those expectations,” Hebert said. “When you have some success, as a program you start to expect to get there again the next season.”

The MHSAA lists the Lake Orion vs. Stoney Creek regional final for Tuesday, May 31 at 6 p.m.