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La Salle beats Lansdale Catholic, returns to PCL final looking for 3rd straight title

The result was SPRINGFIELD » never in doubt.

No. 1 La Salle scored 43 seconds into the game and six times in the first 5:57 to start a 19-2 win over No. 6 Lansdale Catholic in the Philadelphia Catholic League semifinals at La Salle College High School’s Glaser Field Wednesday afternoon.

“We just want to come out here and make a statement,” La Salle senior Matt Clibanoff said, “just work hard — work our butts off. We wanted to get the ball moving. Our head coach was out today — he wasn’t feeling too well — so we wanted to come out here and show what we’re all about. The biggest thing for this team is we know where we can get, but we have to take the little step — stick work is a huge thing for us. We can’t throw the ball away.”

The Explorers certainly accomplished that goal. Clibanoff and Christopher Mockaitis each scored twice in the first 5:57 — along with goals from Brendan Meagher and Grant Pinto — to build a 6-0 lead.

They won almost every faceoff in the beginning of the game, dominated possession and made scoring look effortless.

La Salle led 8-1 at the end of the first quarter, 12-2 at the half, 17-2

GENE WALSH — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA La Salle’s Grant Pinto turns to shoot near Lansdale Catholic’s Daniel White during their PCL semifinal Wednesday.