The Ward Melville Patriots (NY) notched a huge 13-4 victory over visiting Smithtown West (NY) on Monday afternoon. The game was a rematch of the Suffolk County Class A Semi-Finals last season, which was also won by the Patriots avenging an earlier regular season loss to the Bulls.
Ward Melville extended its undefeated start in 2013 to 7-0. Meanwhile, Smithtown West suffered its first setback of the season and fell to 7-1.
After the teams traded goals at the beginning of the first quarter, Ward Melville went on a big run to end the first half with a commanding 7-1 lead en route to the victory.
GAME TRENDS:
First Half
-The first faceoff ended in a physical loose ball push called on Smithtown West. The play would foreshadow the action the rest of the way, as the game was permeated by physical but clean action.
-Ward Melville would get the games first goal, only to be answered on the next possession by Smithtown West.
-The Patriots would answer back immediately, however, making it 2-1 just about two minutes into the game.
-Smithtown West would possess the ball for almost four minutes, spelled briefly by a Ward Melville fast break that saw the ball returned to the Bulls instantly.
-On the possession, the Bulls were having some success in the two-man game behind, able to shed defenders on picks and re-dodges. This led to a few solid chances in front of the cage, which were not converted.
-The Bulls on the possession simply missed too many opportunities. They had a few shots well over the cage, and seemed committed to feeding the crease against a packed-in Patriots defense.
-While the Bulls struggled shooting, credit goes to Ward Melvilles physical defense and goaltender Daniel Nemirov, who was very good and made 11 saves on the day.
-Though early, that possession was really where the game turned.
-Immediately following the extended possession, Ward Melville came back and in short order put two goals in to lead 4-1 with just under five minutes left in the first quarter. They would add one more to lead 5-1 after one.
-The second quarter saw the Patriots continue to play well defensively while slowing things down on the offensive side.
-Ward Melvilles defense was simply outstanding. Their sticks are all very active, and they utilized trail checks all day.
-They were also excellent inside the Bulls seemed determined to find cutters near the crease, but the defense would check-down before a threat materialized.
-The Patriots offense slowed things down in the quarter, and showed impressive poise near halftime. With a stall warning on, they calmly ran their offense and got a goal with just 12 ticks left on the clock to take a 7-1 lead into the half.
-Credit Smithtowns defense, which played a lot of minutes in the first half with the ball in their end, for keeping the score from getting any further away from them.
Second Half:
-The second half started in promising fashion for Smithtown West they were able to kill off a penalty that ended the first half and then drew one on the Patriots to go man-up.
-As was the theme on the day, however, they could not find the cage on their shots, as many sailed high and wide of the target.
-After some back-and-forth possession, Ward Melville finally netted the halfs first goal to go up 8-1.
– A frustration penalty led to a Ward Melville man-up, but Smithtown West was able to capitalize down a player, as Army-bound senior Patrick OBrien ran by a double to make it 8-2.
-The goal was answered promptly by Melville, as Rutgers-bound senior Christian Mazzone (4G, 2A) scored on a low shot to push the lead back to seven at 9-2 to end the third.
-Smithtown West would not give up however, and managed two goals in the first six minutes of the fourth to cut the deficit to 9-4 with about six minutes remaining.
-With all the momentum off a defensive stop, the Bulls came down on a fast break, but yet another great save by Nemirov closed the door on the run and really sealed the game.
-With Smithtown West trying to double and the cage open, the Patriots were able to put home the final four goals for the resounding win.
-FINAL: Ward Melville 13, Smithtown West 4
TEN TEAM OBSERVATIONS
Ward Melville Offense:
-They are loaded with talent, and have some real playmakers that can break down the defense and open up looks for other players.
-They move the ball very well as a unit crisp passing was evident all afternoon.
-Their collective lacrosse IQ was very high they were excellent looking for cutters on the backside, making the extra pass and knowing when to attack the cage.
-Their shot selection was very good, with scoring chances coming from in close which correlates directly with them averaging 15 goals per game.
-They were very poised. Faced with numerous stall warnings as the game wore on, they were intelligent with the ball and continued to run their offense, which was very impressive.
Ward Melville Defense:
-They are very physical as a unit. They dont play dirty, but very physically.
-They were excellent at collapsing on the crease, thwarting feeds to cutters on well-timed checks.
-Each of their defenders have very active sticks and were fantastic at checking the hanging sticks of their opponent.
-They utilized trail checks very well. Even down a step, they were able to put the ball on the ground numerous times.
-Their goaltender played very well and was locked-in on shots from the outside.
Smithtown West Offense:
-Had early success in the two-man game behind, confusing defenders with picks and re-picks.
-Moved the ball well on the perimeter.
-They had decent looks especially early but they missed the cage (especially high) on too many occasions, which allowed the defense to get comfortable.
-They had men open on the crease off cuts at times, but the ball was forced into the crowd too often.
-The individual talent was there, but a rough day shooting forced them to play catch-up too early and they never were able to find a rhythm.
Smithtown West Defense:
-They are a big group.
-Like their counterparts from East Setauket, they too play a physical style.
-Had some individual players throw some excellent checks.
-They were simply in their own end for too long and got worn down in stretches.
-13 goals against is a bit misleading as four game near the end with an empty net/double-team mode.
THREE PLAYERS THAT LEFT AN IMPRESSION
Christian Mazzone (Midfield, Ward Melville): An offensive weapon who generated numerous scoring chances, Mazzone was the best player on the field Monday, recording four goals and two assists for a game-high six points. The Rutgers-bound senior has tremendous vision, and plays very tough dodging hard and picking up contested ground balls all over the field. Hailing from an athletic family brother Kenny was a standout middie at Melville and Siena Mazzone led an impressive group, which includes Duke-bound senior Jack Bruckner (4G).
Dan Decker (LSM, Ward Melville): Decker played excellently on the day and really exemplified the Patriots defense, using his stick to cause numerous turnovers on both checks and interceptions. His ground ball play was equally as impressive, and he used a lengthy stride to spark transition even notching an assist on one such occasion.
Patrick OBrien (Attack, Smithtown West): The Army-bound senior paced the Bulls offense with two goals. A shifty player, OBrien showed impressive dodging skills, highlighted by a man-down goal in which he was able to run past a double-team and finishing well inside. He also scored on an excellent cut and finish.
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