If fans do not get another chance to see a Westfield-Longmeadow high school boys’ lacrosse game in the Western Massachusetts tournament, then the latest regular season installment should be savored.
Four different players scored for Longmeadow to lead the Lancers past the Westfield Bombers 4-3 in a defensive battle on senior night Thursday at Westfield State University.
“We stack up well against each other in the matchups, the faceoffs; we’re both very physical,” Longmeadow co-coach Brian Hubbard said.
Two goals were scored in the opening three minutes – Westfield’s Alex Quarterley (10:54) sidearmed a shot past six defensemen and Longmeadow’s Dylan Kelleher (9:08) tied it from about 15 yards out – before both teams went scoreless for the next 21 minutes.
The game was so hotly contested that a for a short period of time in the second quarter, both teams batted around loose balls on the ground like field hockey players, and a knock-down, drag-out fight ensued for the remainder.
Longmeadow sneaked a goal in just before the half as Keegan Dudek bounced a shot in from 25 yards out with 5.6 ticks left in the first half.
Westfield tied the game, 2-2, with 6:56 remaining in the third quarter when Sam Scarfo swept a shot about 10 yards up the field into the back of the net.
Longmeadow responded with a goal about a minute later on a shot from Myles Smith. Daniel McDonough scored for the Lancers early in the fourth quarter on a clear shot from about 20 yards away.
Quarterley kept Westfield close with a third goal for the hat trick with 3:41 left in regulation. The Bombers got off just a few shots in the final minutes, including a point-blank shot from Matt Lacroix, but Longmeadow’s defense put the clamps on.
“(Our players) have picked it up 110 percent,” coach Hubbard said. “We’re going 100 miles an hour into the tournament.”
Westfield coach Mark Cavallon was pleased with his team’s effort as well.
“They’re a great team,” Cavallon said of the competition, “but I’m proud of the way we played. Our team defense was outstanding tonight.
”(Westfield goalie) Jake Cupak made several key saves. Our offense did not get in our zone enough tonight. We have got to do a better job of getting ground balls and loose balls in the tournament.
“Both teams played hard tonight.”
Cupak, a freshman that emerged as the starting goalie late in the regular season, finished with 18 saves. Longmeadow goalie Glenn LaFountain made 12.
