By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com(See videos below)It
was easy for DeMatha boys lacrosse midfielder Stephen Tepsick to come
up with a descriptor of the Stags’ recent first quarter performances.
“Pretty dismal,” the senior said.
On
the heels of two straight opening duds, Tepsick and the Stags turned
around their slow starts Saturday, scoring five goals in the first
quarter on the way to a 9-5 win over two-time defending Maryland 4A
state champion Severna Park at the 12th Annual Maryland High School
Lacrosse Showdown at Johns Hopkins University.
Tepsick scored
the game’s opening goal five minutes and 27 seconds into the first
quarter and senior midfielder Shane Ryznar notched back-to-back goals
at 4:44 and 3:54 to give the Stags an early lead that they never
surrendered. DeMatha senior attackmen Ryan Kotowski and Mike Smail also
notched first-quarter goals to build a 5-1 lead heading into the second
quarter.
“The first quarter was pretty strong,” Tepsick said.
“We were excited to play and we were the first ones to score. That was
a big thing. All year we weren’t the first to score so I think that had
a huge part in it.”
DeMatha (5-3) allowed Boys Latin to jump out
to an 8-0 lead in the first quarter on March 29 and St.
Mary’s-Annapolis to open with a 9-1 advantage on April 1. In both
games, DeMatha outscored its opponent in the second half but was too
far behind to overcome its deficit.
On the Wednesday before
Saturday’s game, DeMatha coach Scott Pugh sat down with his assistant
coaches and discussed ideas to help the team get off to a better start.
They decided to change the team’s warm-up routine to, as Pugh put it,
“mix things up.”
“The kids had more energy and more hip to their
hop early on in the game,” Pugh said. “I think the energy was there in
the first quarter where the other games we came out flat.”
Pugh’s
message before the start of the game was simple. “Stick your shots
early,” he told his team. DeMatha not only did that, but fired 12 shots
compared to just three by Severna Park. Tepsick aided the offense by
winning 6 of 9 faceoffs in the first half, and the Stags also scored on
all three extra-man opportunities they were given in the first quarter.
“I
think that was huge to make a big step in the beginning,” Ryznar said.
“It meant a lot for us to come out here and beat one of the top public
schools. It’s just a great feeling to finally get a win over a good
team.”
Severna Park (5-1) is in more of a retooling season while
the Stags are loaded with seniors, but the Falcons were unbeaten coming
into the game with a convincing win over the Washington Catholic
Athletic Conference’s Gonzaga. But as Severna Park’s Sean Price (three
goals) said, the Stags, who will face Georgetown Prep on Tuesday, were
more physical from the opening whistle.
“This is a huge game for
us,” Pugh said. “We told the kids that it could be one of those games
where our season could go up from here. ... Or if we came out here
flat, then we were going to have a long season."
DeM - 5 1 1 2 -- 9
SP - 1 2 1 1 -- 5
Goals:
DeM: Shane Ryznar (2), Stephen Tepsick, Ryan Kotowski, Mike Smail, J.P.
Pietropaoli, Pat Harbenson, Phil Poe, Mike Williams; SP: Sean Price
(3), Sam Jones, Adam MacBride
Assists: DeM: Mike Rogers (2), Pat Harbenson, Mike Smail, J.P. Pietropaoli; SP: Pat Morrison