Boys’ lacrosse team bests King Philip for first time since ’05

Following a disappointing road loss to North Attleboro marred by too many Canton penalties, the CHS boys’ lacrosse team bounced back Friday at home with a big win over King Philip, improving to 6-3 overall while maintaining its hold on second place in the Hockomock’s Davenport Division.

Sophomore Nick O'Connor

It was just the second time in program history that Canton has beaten the Warriors, with the only other win coming in 2005, back when the team’s current seniors were in their first year of middle school.

Suffice it to say, the entire team was amped up for this one, and the significance of the 6-3 victory was not lost on anyone, not even the team’s youngest members.

“They certainly appreciate the history there and they wanted to get the monkey off their backs,” said head coach Bill Bendell, who was a rookie coach the last time the Bulldogs topped KP.

This time, they did it with poise and patience, as the Warriors employed a zone defense that tends to slow the pace of play considerably. But the Bulldogs still managed to get off to a quick start, scoring three unanswered goals en route to a 5-1 halftime lead.

“They did a great job of being patient and at the same time being aggressive,” remarked Bendell, adding that his team showed tremendous discipline as they finished with zero penalties.

The Bulldogs were led by junior captain Matt Malloy, who created countless scoring chances and finished with a goal and two assists. Malloy, who now leads the team in scoring with 37 points, has played at a consistently high level all season yet is so humble and workmanlike that Bendell admitted he “sometimes forgets just how good he is.”

Other key contributors in Friday’s win included the entire top midfield line — sophomores Matt Lennon (team-high eight ground balls), Nick O’Connor (2 goals) and Kurt Leavitt (1 goal, 1 assist) — along with freshman defenseman Matt Bagley, who, according to Bendell, had his “best game of the season.”

Earlier in the week, the Bulldogs faced off against a tough North Attleboro team, and while they were able to make some noise in the second half, it was “too little, too late” as the Rocketeers held on for the 9-6 win.

Down 8-3 in the fourth quarter, Canton staged a mini rally with three unanswered goals to pull within two at the four-minute mark. But NA regained its composure and ended up burying the clincher with two minutes remaining.

Matt Malloy

Bendell said his squad took too many penalties and struggled for long stretches of the game against the Rocketeers’ stingy defense.

“They just played a great game,” he said of the opponents. “They were very aggressive, probably the most aggressive team on defense that we’ve played all year.”

Although disappointed with the loss, Bendell was thoroughly impressed with the performance of senior captain TJ Lennon, who scored a goal and was a difference maker all over the field.

Other top performers included goalie Devin Costa, who finished with 13 saves; junior midfielder and first-year lacrosse player Conor McLaughlin, who scored his first varsity goal; and freshmen midfielders Austin Zannino and Ben Lodge.

The Bulldogs had a tough test this week against Franklin, the Hock’s Kelly-Rex Division leader, followed by home games against Oliver Ames tomorrow night and North Attleboro Monday, May 9.

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Posted by Jay Turner on May 5 2011. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.