Central Valley. Crusaders pound Washingtonville 17-0 in lacrosse
| 18 May 2021 | 12:15
Senior goalie Dean Pesce kept the Wizards off the score board. Photos by William Dimmit.
Senior defensemen Ethan Gollinger helped shut down the Washingtonville attack.
Senior Colin Duffy swings around the Wizard goal in the second half.
The Crusader Seniors: Standing from left to right are: Michael Grove, Ethan Charalambides, Jack Rumbler, Connor Fischer, Damian Bonilla, Thomas Concannon, Michael Ballinger, Sean Kivlehan, Kieran Hagen, Dean Pesce, Jake Capara, Tyler Nordquist, Danny Gilligan and Andrew Kaplan. And kneeling in front: Pillip Park, Ethan Gollinger, CJ Gullotta, Colin Duffy, Timothy Philbin and Brett Werling.
On Friday, May 14, the Crusaders hosted the Wizards of Washingtonville on Senior Day in a non-league crossover match.
The undefeated Crusaders entered the game with a 5-0 record after posting two consecutive overtime victories over perennial powers Cornwall and Kingston.
The Crusaders appear to be the class of the Section 9 AA division this year. The senior-dominated team looks very strong on both ends of the field while featuring 20 seniors on this year’s roster.
The Crusaders’ offense exploded in the first quarter and ran out to a 7-0 lead with Timothy Philbin scoring two goals and two assists, and Michael Grove scoring one goal and adding three assists in the period.
In the second quarter, the Crusaders stretched their lead to 13-0, this time with Thomas Concannon picking up three goals and an assist and CJ Gullotta getting his two goals and adding an assist.
In the second half of the game the Crusaders slowed things down but still added another four goals to their lead with Michael Zrelak adding a goal and getting his second assist of the game.
The Crusader defense led by Michael Ballinger, Kieran Hagan and Ethan Gollinger held the Wizards’ offense in check, allowing only eight shots on goal all game.
In net for the Crusaders starter Dean Pesce’s three saves and Edward Patterson’s five saves kept the Wizards off the board.
After the game the team celebrated the seniors on this years team with a brief ceremony followed by a pizza party.
The Crusaders’ 17-0 victory brings their record to 6-0 on the season. There next game is against Pine Bush.
- William Dimmit