Spirited BC High comeback stuns Xaverian, 12-10
Never leave a game until it’s truly over.
After Thursday, it’s a life lesson BC High lacrosse players might just be discussing with friends and family for the rest of their lives.
Rising sophomore star Tripp Schuhwerk finished with four goals, while senior captain Marshall Rice (four goals) sniped the eventual game-winner with 1:32 left in regulation, as BC High stormed back from a five-goal second half deficit to stun Catholic Conference rival Xaverian, 12-10.
“I think we all ended up clicking at the end,” Schuhwerk said. “I think we knew we had it in us the whole time. I think it just took a little while to kick in, but it worked.”
The game started out as many expected, as a nailbiter. It just proved to be a defensive standoff. That was until Xaverian caught lightning in a bottle, scoring three goals in a span of 2:02, with Johnny Black netting two himself to provide the Hawks (2-2) a 3-0 lead.
Then BC High (3-0) staged a rally, scoring three straight goals of its own. Luke Allen put the Eagles on the board with 26.3 to play in the opening frame, before Rice and Schuhwerk opened the second with consecutive tallies to even things at 3-all. It was simply a foreshadowing of what was in store.
After Xaverian took a 4-3 lead at the half off a goal by senior Hunter Molway, the Hawks kicked things into gear in the third quarter, outscoring the Eagles, 5-2, in the frame. Sebastian Reyes picked the net with a laser shot, giving his team a commanding 9-4 edge with 2:42 remaining in the stanza, and fans at Morrissey Boulevard were left stunned.
Then, a glimmer of hope came in the form of senior Charlie McCullough, who added his name to the scoresheet by burying a goal with 3.7 seconds to go in the quarter, slicing BC High’s seemingly insurmountable deficit to 9-5.
“We just needed one,” said BC High coach Marcus Craigwell. “I told our offense that we just needed one. Once we get that one, we can build off of that. Then, just stay in it, don’t let up, don’t get out of what we know, what we’ve been practicing. They relied on that, where they’re sticking goals, and it’s great.”
Rice opened the final quarter with a goal, then Schuwerk flipped a switch of his own, scoring three straight as the Eagles found the equalizer with 5:34 remaining.
BC High players erupted as the scoreboard was back to a dead heat at 9-9.
With the archrivals knotted at 10-all in the waning moments, Rice spun around a defenseman, and noticed a clear shooting lane.
“Our thing was to just clear the ball,” Rice said. “But I saw an opening, and took it to the net.”
The senior midfielder seized his opportunity, and capitalized as he fired a shot into the back of the cage. After battling back all day, the Eagles had their first lead with less than two minutes remaining, up 11-10.
As the final seconds bled away, Rice slipped upfield, and added his fourth and final goal for good measure with 10.7 seconds remaining. A fitting cherry on top.
Black finished with a team-high four goals for Xaverian, while Molway (two goals) finished 26-for26 in the faceoff circle.
“That one’s up there,” Craigwell said with a smile. “I’d say that’s top five (in my career). Being down so many, having a lot of young guys in leadership roles. We had a super talented class last year that graduated, so people stepped up. When they stepped up, they realized what they’re capable of.”