DETERMINED EFFORTS: Despite a 27-save performance by Archbhshop Spalding's Tyler Powell (No. 3), Cavlert Hall's Jason McFaddden -- surrounded by the red jerseys of the Cavaliers' defense -- managed to score once with four assists in the Cardinals' 16-5 MIAA A Conference semifinal victory on Tuesday. (Photo by Laura Sheeler).
THAT'S A REACH: Calvert Hall's Greg Dutton reaches high for one of his 10 saves in Tuesday's 16-5, MIAA A Conference semifinal victory over Archbishop Spalding. (Photo by Laura Sheeler)
by Lem Satterfield
(See video highlights, interviews below)
When Calvert Hall is on, the Cardinals appear to rival any team in the nation, let alone, the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association's A Conference.
And during Tuesday's 16-5 MIAA A Conference quarterfinal victory over upset-minded, visiting Archbishop Spalding, ranked ninth in the DigitalSports' top 20, the second-ranked Cardinals were firing on all cylinders.
There was Patrick Fanshaw scoring a season-high seven goals. Jason McFadden scored once with three of his four assists going to Fanshaw. Sean McGuire scored three times and also assisted Fanshaw.
Among the Cardinals' 11 different offensive contributors were Michael Brashears (two goals), Tyler Adelsberger and JK Wittelsberger with two assists each, Tony Rossi and Phil Castronova with one goal each, and Sam Ottey and Phil Castronova with one assist each.
Junior faceoff midfielder Joe Impallaria won 16-of-18 faceoffs he took for the Cardinals, who, with Ryan Gutowski and Frankie Kelly (one goal), enjoyed an overall advantage of 20-to-4 in the draws.
And defenders Joe Edwards and Hunter Steadley as well as keeper Greg Dutton (10 saves) anchored an effort which quieted a Cavaliers' squad that was coming off of Friday's 12-9 upset of third-ranked, defending champion Loyola -- doing so in the absence of injured, Johns Hopkins University-bound Cardinals' defender Christopher Lightner.
"We had to do all of the little things right. Especially with Joe winning all of those faceoffs. They didn't get that many opportunities," said Edwards. "We're a fast-paced team, and we're confident in what we can do. We wanted to establish tempo and play our game. We don't want to play anybody else's game."
Despite having vanquished the Cavaliers (9-8) by 17-5 earlier this season, Cardinals' coach Bryan Kelly was concerned with the visitors' propensity to pull upsets.
For in addition to the Dons, the Cavaliers of first-year coach Zack Burke had beaten traditional power Boys' Latin and had also come closer than perhaps any other league team to defeating, top-ranked, unbeaten Gilman, losing, 12-10, after holding the lead in the game throughout.
"They're [Cavaliers] very athletic, and coach [Zack] Burke has done a phenomenal job with them. They're talented and they're good. They've had some tremendous wins, and I've seen them play on film, and I was very worried," said Kelly, whose Cardinals rose to 16-2 in victory, earning a rematch of an earlier, 10-9 loss to the Dons to take place in Friday's semifinal at Towson University's Johnny Unitas Stadium.
"But I'm excited that we came away with the 'W,' and I have a tremendous amount of respect for what they've done. I don't think the score is indicative of how good that they are," said Kelly, whose Cardinals overcame a 27-save effort by the Cavaliers' Tyler Powell. "I just think they ran into a team that played a really wonderful game of lacrosse today."
The Cardinals led, 5-0, after the first quarter. And when the Cavaliers' threatened to start a run, coming within, 5-2, at 9:29 of the second quarter, the Cardinals -- leaders of 10-2 at halftime -- scored six, unanswered goals to go up, 11-2, at 10:07 of the third quarter.
Fanshaw played evenly in each half, scoring the Cardinals' third, fourth and sixth goals, as well as their 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th.
"Everybody was just looking for each other, doing whatever we could do to get the ball into the net. We did a good job of that today. It's definitely important to get out on them early, because they were coming in confident. That's exactly what we knew we had to do today, and we were able to do it," said Fanshaw, who, like the Georgetown University-bound McFadden, is just a junior.
"We knew, late in the season, they [Cavaliers] were starting to get pretty good," said McFadden. "I think we came out strong, and in the first quarter, we were up, like, 5-0. That set the tone."
Rich May led the Cavaliers with three goals and an assist, followed by Andrew Scalley and Mike Poiter with one goal each.
The Cardinals' defense "was great, and we're fortunate that we could step up with some depth here. I feel really good about our close defense, and I think it's probably the area where we have the most depth," said Kelly.
"Patrick Rhodey is just a sophomore, but he's probably one of the most gifted athletes on our team, so I felt really good about him, and [sophomore] Tyler Comer steps in and he's a terrific defender," Kelly said. "Overall, Hunter Steadley takes the leadership role, and he's had a great season for us so far. We just have to keep communicating and playing good, team defense."
Scalley was coming off of a five-goal effort against Loyola, but could not penetrate the Cardinals' defense.
"Tyler Comer, Joe Edwards, of course, I thought the whole defense played well. Dutton played out of his mind. I think it was just a good, overall team effort," said Steadley. "I have to give it up to our attack for riding," Steadley said. "They really couldn't get the ball down [on our defense] that much because our attack was riding so well. With Lightner missing, we knew that the team had to step up."
The Cardinals brought to an end, what has been a tremendous season by the Cavaliers, whose program joined the MIAA's A Conference in 2003, and won only one conference game last season.
"I'm extremely proud of my guys. They did everything I've asked them to do. I'm very proud of them. I'm very proud of my coaching staff," said Burke, whose assistants include Spencer Ford, Steve Kelly, Chris Turner and Joe Carrier.
"They're all great coaches. They've worked hard to get to practice, worked hard to get to games and have all sacrificed a bunch," Burke said. "They've been pretty patient with our team as we've grown into a competitive team."
"I'm extremely proud. If you have asked me in the beginning of the year if we were going to the playoffs, I'd have said, 'yeah, we're going,' but I wouldn't have bet on it," Burke said. "But here we are, we've made it, and we've made a lot of history as far as Archbishop Spalding is concerned, and it's a lot to build on."