Varsity Boys Lacrosse

Our Warriors took advantage of sloppy play by the Knights and took a commanding 6-2 1st half lead. Star face-off middie Davis Wall, who had 1 goal and 1 assist in the 1st half, injured his knee and could not compete in the 2nd half.  Junior middie Redmond Smith took over responsibilities and performed well for our team.  The 2nd half was a hard fought contest, but due to smart plays from senior attackmen Miles Rieker(2 goals) and Cole Diehl(4 goals 2 assists), the warriors were able to maintain the lead thru the remainder of the game.  Rounding out the scoring was Junior middie Harper Pennington(2 goals 1 assist), Nolan Homeister(1 goal).  Today's game saw strength from the defense once again as goalie Joe Pisciotta was at top form, making save after save. Defensive highlights came from Henry Koon's monster goal which sparked the Warrior's offense, and then late in the game while we were 2 men short from a couple of penalties, Clay Matthews recovered a ground ball and took it the distance finding Miles Rieker for a goal, punctuating a hard fought game.  The Warrior will play next Tuesday, May 11 (6:00 PM) at Forsyth Country Day School in the NCISAA State Tournament Semifinals. 

The defense, lead by phenomenal goal tending by senior Joe Pisciotta, persevered against a very good Charger attack.  The long poles of senior Brayden Crowder, junior captain Clay Matthews and junior Henry Koon played a great game having to adjust against multiple offense sets that the Chargers ran against us. Once again, it was Junior face-off middie Davis Wall who controlled the ball and set up our Warrior offense for the better part of the game, which enabled us to stay in the lead and come away with a good win.

Hot shooting from Miles Rieker(4 goals), Harper Pennington(5 goals 2 assists), Cole Diehl(4 goals 1 assist), Nolan Homeister(4 assists), John Hauser(1 goal 1 assist) and Redmond Smith(1 assist) over came a early scoring surge by the Chargers to get our Warriors to a 9-6 lead at the half. The second half was like a chess game with both sides scoring, but the Chargers were unable to retake the lead. With 2 minutes left in the game, Cary Academy scored, cutting the lead to 14-13 but the warrior offense got the ball to senior attackman Cole Diehl who ran out the clock to secure the victory. Our warriors never quit and their determination was the difference in the ball game.

The varsity boy’s lacrosse team hosted Cape Fear Academy on Thursday.  The game was senior night for the warriors, but the victory went to the Hurricanes as their skill level and player numbers proved too much for our team.  The 1st quarter was pretty much balanced with good defense, however, CFA's players began to wear our defense down which led to a 6-1 halftime lead. The 2nd half was all Hurricanes despite scoring from senior attackman and captain Miles Rieker (2 goals), junior midfielders John Hauser (2 goals) and Harper Pennington (1 goal).  Senior goalie Joe Pisciotta was tested with many shots. Junior Davis Wall (face-off middie) and defensive long poles: senior Brayden Crowder, juniors Henry Koon and Clay Matthews all played extremely well throughout the match. Despite allowing 13 goals, Pisciotta saved many more including numerous shots from close range. Varsity Head Coach Doug Hink continued to coach until the final whistle and in true form used the opportunity as learning lesson for his team. 

This game held a special meaning more than most as the seniors of the team were honored along with their parents at the end of the game.  The home game was the last one for seniors: Miles Rieker, Cole Diehl, Joe Pisciotta, Brayden Crowder, Owen Barr and Corey Eastmann.  During the senior recognition Coach Hink spoke from the heart about each of his senior athletes and the impact that they have made on the team and growth as an individual. This was also the last regular season home game for Coach Hink for he has announced his retirement from coaching.  A larger crowd than usual was in attendance for this game that filled the stands with former players, parents and friends of the Hink family.  After the senior recognition Coach Hink was presented a plaque from the athletic director in appreciation for his commitment and dedication to the St. David’s Lacrosse program.  “Coach Hink did an exceptional job as the Varsity Boys Lacrosse for he has set a high standard of excellence.  His success did not only come in the wins that he achieved on the field but more importantly in the lives of his players that influenced and had an impact on.  We have been blessed to have Coach Hink part of the athletic staff.”  Athletic Director, Ricardo Viera. 

The varsity boys lacrosse team swept the Patriots from Arendell Parrott Academy with a 6-5  victory.  Having been beaten on their field last week by our Warriors, the Patriots came to John A. Murray stadium with revenge on the minds.  The game started just as before with heightened physical play as the Patriots jumped to a 2-1 1st quarter lead by forcing many Warrior turnovers.  Not to be out done, great defensive play by Koon, Matthews and Crowder and goal tending by Joe Pisciotta enabled the Warriors get back in the game with a half time score of 3-3. The 2nd half was exciting with scoring and defensive play by each team. With just over 2 minutes remaining in the game, the Patriots scored giving the Patriots a 5-4 lead.  Davis Wall won the next face-off which led to a score by senior middie John Hauser, who finished with 2 goals. With the game now tied and 1:30 remaining, Wall won the face-off again and Miles Rieker(2 goals) got the ball and slipped a great shot past their goalie to seal the victory with seconds remaining.

The Warriors out play Cary Christian for a 8-3 victory. Playing on their home field, Cary Christian came out playing aggressive lacrosse to take a 2-1 lead at the end of the 1st quarter. Sloppy play by the warriors led to many offensive possessions for the Knights. However, just like the previous game we played against them, our team settled down, reduced mental errors and began to control the game.  Half time score was 4-2 Warriors. Second half was well played by both teams, but thanks to scoring by seniors Cole Diehl (3 goals) and Miles Rieker (3 goals, 1 assist) along with junior middie Harper Pennington (2 goals, 2 assists),  the Warrior offense was too much and we came away victorious with a 8-3 win.  Goalie Joe Pisciotta played another marvelous game, making numerous saves against excellent shooting by Cary Christian.

St. David out sticks Parrott academy 9-3 in varsity boys lacrosse.  The first 18 minutes of the game belong to the Patriots whose aggressive play overwhelmed the Warriors, which led to a 2-1 lead. We regained our style of play and began to take the momentum away for a 3-2 halftime edge. The 2nd half was all Warriors as we controlled the ball on offense and made good passes leading to easy goals. Our offense was more balanced with scoring coming from attackmen Miles Rieker and Cole Diehl along with mid fielders Nolan Homeister, converted defenseman to middie Harper Pennington and faceoff middie Davis Wall.  Defenseman Henry Koon scored in the game giving him 3 for the season and new record for long pole scoring.  Goalie Joe Pisciotta played another outstanding game shutting down many Patriot scoring opportunities.