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John Jay-CR upsets Massapequa
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Last Saturday, John Jay-Cross River saw an early lead slip away in a heartbreaking 11-10 overtime loss to Long Island powerhouse Manhasset.
Rest-assured, the Indians didn't let history repeat itself.
John Jay-CR pulled off arguably the biggest upset in the Tri-State on Saturday, scoring a narrow 9-8 win over Massapequa at home. The Chiefs entered the game as the No. 12 team in the MSG Varsity Tri-State Lacrosse Top 20, while John Jay-CR was unranked.
“We really needed (this win),” John Jay-CR coach Tim Schurr said. “To play a big team and finally finish out a game up, it’s exactly what we needed."
Junior middie Tommy Beck paced the Indians with a team-high three goals and an assist, while Andrew Duffy added a pair of goals. Matt Ferentini (1A), Brandon Lee (1A), Shawn Smith and Frazier Bostwick notched one goal apiece. Doug Brown and Brandon Lew each had an assist to round out the offensive production.
“We played very hard today,” Schurr said. “We had them on their heels a little bit in the first quarter. We had a lot of chances and a good, solid, team offense.”
Like against Manhasset, the Indians started out hot, grabbing an early 5-2 first-quarter lead. They kept pace in the second quarter and led 7-4 at the half.
Massapequa came alive after the break, outscoring John Jay-CR 3-1 in the third quarter to trim the deficit to 8-7 heading into the fourth. Unlike previous games, however, the Indians held on down the stretch.
"We’ve been playing really well in the first half lately, but the second has been a problem for us," Schurr said. "In so many games this year we’ve only scored two goals in the second half, and we did it again today, but our defense dug in and we pulled it out.”
Dan Muller led Massapequa with a team-high three goals. Ian Kirby and Brandon Savona added two goals apiece. Ryan Kirby (1G, 1A), Paul Bentz (2A) and Craig Berge (1A) rounded out the offensive production. Goalie Joe Daneher made five saves.
The eight goals were a season-low for the Chiefs, who entered the matchup averaging 12.5 goals a game. It marked John Jay-CR's first win over a Long Island team since 2010. The Indians fell to Massapequa, 11-5, in last year's meeting.
Next up, John Jay-CR will travel to undefeated Mahopac (8-0) on Thursday afternoon. The Indians edged defending Section 1 Class A champ Mahopac, 9-6, in last year's matchup.
“Historically, Mahopac plays very hard,” Schurr said. “They’re going to compete from start to finish. We’re going to have to play solid. It should be a good one."
Follow Jordan Griffith on Twitter @MSGV_Jgriffith
