Wahconah Boys Storm Past Pittsfield
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – After years of setting the bar for boys lacrosse in Berkshire County, the Wahconah went into Friday night’s game against Pittsfield with a 2-10 record and one win in its last 10 games.
After nine minutes against the Generals, Wahconah found itself down, 4-0.
Then, everything changed.
Owen Brennan scored in transition with 2 minutes, 15 seconds left in the first quarter to make it 4-1, and Wahconah discord the next 17 goals to earn an 18-4 win under the lights at Berkshire Community College’s Gene Dellea Field.
“Captain, senior, he’s been a big part of our program,” Wahconah coach Matt Fisher said. “He plays midfield, attack, defense, faceoff. He’s huge for us. When he gets going, we’re a better team for sure.”
Brennan finished with six goals and two assists, and Devin Lagerwall scored seven goals to lead Wahconah’s offense.
Kesler Anello had a hat trick, and Chase O’Neil and Trevon Hawkins each found the back of the net once for Fisher’s squad, whose previous offensive high was 10 goals in a one-goal win over South Hadley on April 29.
In the early going, it looked like Pittsfield would be challenging its season high of nine goals in a loss to Chicopee Comp.
Preston Phair converted an assist from Javon Jones in the third minute to put the Generals on the scoreboard.
An unlucky bounce for Wahconah led to an own goal and a 2-0 PHS lead moments later.
Phair then scored his second on a delayed penalty call against Wahconah. And after Wahconah picked up a two-minute unsportsmanlike penalty with 3:43 left in the first, Luke Irwin scored a man-up goal for Pittsfield to give his team a 4-0 lead on the reigning Western Massachusetts Class B Champs.
Fisher’s confidence was not shaken.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried, but I’m confident in this team,” he said. “Every day, we play. If we’re down 15, if we’re down three, I’m coaching the same. My players are playing the same. There’s no issue with playing hard on this team.
“I think we’re resilient and we’re young and we’re learning. But I’m happy with how we played today.”
Kesler Anello opened the second quarter with a transition goal. And Brennan converted a feed from Hawkins to make it a one-goal game less than two minutes into the quarter.
In the 18th minute of play, Lagerwall scored his first goal to tie it. And Anello scored the go-ahead and game-winning goal less than a minute later on a man-up chance.
Wahconah got another man-up goal, this one from Lagerwall, just before half-time to make it a two-goal game at the break.
The second half was all Wahconah.
It scored eight times in the third quarter to push the lead to 10, and Brennan’s tally with 8:27 left in regulation sent the game to running time.
Zack Schneider earned the win in goal with five saves.
Jude Wojtkowski stopped six shots for Pittsfield (1-9), which hosts Belchertown on Monday at Egremont Elementary.
Wahconah (3-10) goes to Amherst-Pelham on Saturday afternoon.