By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/16/18
The domination was clear. Penn*Lax Silver won its four games by a combined, 49-7 total, and won every game by at least 8 goals.
Monday at Body Zone in Reading, Penn*Lax finished off an impressive display of box lacrosse by routing BBL, 10-2, for the High School A championship at the Fusion Lacrosse Best in Box Tournament.
Eight different players scored in the title game as Penn*Lax jumped to a 3-0 lead and later scored six straight goals to seize a 9-1 lead early in the final period.
Penn*Lax also won by scores of 12-2, 10-2 and 16-1 during the day. The squad, a collection of Philly region players, is undefeated through two tournaments (it won the Mid-Atlantic Regional in Hatfield in late December).
“I think our team collaborated well,” said 2019 Stephen Blue (Souderton), who scored once. “We know where each other is going to be on the floor.”
Jack Jogerst (Malvern Prep) and Bryce Stansfield (Garnet Valley) each scored twice for Penn*Lax while Mason Garrabrant (Salesianum School), Jake Morin (Garnet Valley), Nate Lapat (Lower Merion), Max Jogerst (Malvern Prep) and Zachary Fantini (Malvern Prep) each scored once. Meanwhile, Bradley Green (Hempfield) and TJ Kelly (CB West) were solid in goal.
“We work really hard in practice and have a very strong coaching staff (Luke Wiles and Matt McCormick),” said Jack Jogerst. “We are able to make changes throughout the game as we need to to help our chances.”
Blue said the team has jelled since winning its first tourney 16 day earlier at the USBoxLa Mid-Atlantic Regionals.
“We needed to build the chemistry and I think it showed in this one,” he said.
“I think we improved a lot this tournament,” added Jack Jogerst. “We had our lefties and we were able to work both sides of the floor very well and those guys stepped up and contributed.”
Wiles, whose team will compete in the prestigious Heritage Tournament in Rochester in three weekends, said his team is emerging.
“I am very proud of the way the boys represented Penn*Lax,” he said. “I have seen a lot of improvement over the two tournaments. We are pushing them hard to not be content.
“We do have so many talented lacrosse players, but if you want to be the best, we stress the fact that no matter how good you are. there is another level maybe you just haven’t even seen yet. That’s what the D1 ranks represent; all the top kids. If you want to be an effective player you have to practice your rear off every time you walk on the floor.
“Our kids seem to be buying in. The guys continue to get better and be more effective on the floor.”