Varsity Boys Lacrosse

A few of our spring varsity teams had games in the NCISAA tournament this week. We are very proud of their efforts and work! Here are their updates: 

GIRLS SOCCER v. HICKORY GROVE CHRISTIAN

The girls soccer team took the long haul to Charlotte to play Hickory Grove Christian school in the first round of the playoffs. It was a rough match-up for the Warriors but they hung tough with the opponent and played hard. Putting two shots in the back of the net wasn't enough to keep up with Hickory Grove and they took a 2-8 loss. Eliza Everett and Julia painter scored the teams goals. "The team gave great effort but it just wasn't quite enough", said coach Cornejo.  

BOYS LACROSSE v. ASHEVILLE SCHOOL

The boys lacrosse team along with the varsity girls had a long 4 hour trip to Asheville to start the playoffs. "Hopes were high to bring home a victory as everyone felt we had a chance to win. As usual though, the teams that have given us the hardest time has been those with big, fast and athletic midfielders, and the Blues from Asheville were no exception" said coach Doug Hink. The face-off hero all season, Davis Wall would win the draw, but they were out manned on the wings causing the team to lose many possessions.  Asheville played hardball controlling offense and were very efficient with their passes and shots taking a commanding 1st half lead of 10-5. "During half time, we felt pretty down, but as we analyzed things, and we found that we scored on 5 of 7 shots! Unfortunately, we only control 4 minutes of the 24 during the half. We discussed 2nd half strategies which included: intensity, aggressiveness, teamwork and have a no quit attitude", added Hink. While the team still came up short, they scored 4 more goals to their 3 to finish 13-9.  Freshman goalie Jack Burke had a tough 1st half, but shut down many really good shooters in the 2nd. The Blues offense wore the Warriors down, but the long poles of (captains Clay Matthews and Henry Koon), Hart Miles, and freshman sensation Walker Tattersail played great and turn the tide in the 2nd half. Scoring for the Warrior's were; senior middies Nolan Homeister (2 goals), Redmond Smith (1 goal), Harper Pennington (1 goal). Defensive long pole Clay Matthew outdid himself again scoring his 2nd goal in as many games from inside the midfield line. Freshman attackmen Ben Brewer scored 2 goals followed by Cooper Berkoff's (1goal and 3 assists) and Owen Thompson's (1goal). Head coach Hink has some final thoughts to add. "To conclude the season, this 4-2 team will be remembered as the team that never quit, had a great deal of pride, and always conducted themselves as champions. What a privilege it has been to lead them this season. We'll done 2022 Warrior's varsity lacrosse team." 

GIRLS LACROSSE v. ASHEVILLE SCHOOL

After a long trip out to Asheville with the boys lacrosse team the girls came up against a tough team in their opponent. It was a really hot afternoon on their big turf field and the girls appeared to start with some post-season jitters. They settled down quickly and made some great plays throughout the game that just proved to not be enough against the Blues. Anisa Barutis had a great day in cage making 7 saves. Greyson Woody caused 5 turnovers and put in an amazing effort across the field. "A great effort by all and a fun trip to round out our awesome season. We will miss our seniors dearly", said head coach Christie Dougherty

BASEBALL v. CONCORD FIRST ASSEMBLY ACADEMY

After traveling to Concord Academy at their field in second round of playoffs the boys baseball team lost to a skilled opponent 0-11. Layton Bilderback thru four innings and Preston Cheek finished it out the final two innings. Davis Crowder added an exciting hit. "The seniors Luke Fuller, Jesse Martin and Luke Nelson will be missed. It was a tough loss and we fought really hard. I look forward to those guys doing big things in the future," said coach Lebeda. 

TENNIS v. COASTAL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (written by Craig Sanguilly '25)

The Warriors got outmatched in the second playoff game of the season against Coastal Christian. With Alex Barroso being absent, and the match being a long way away from home, it was an uphill battle. It started with doubles, 1 and 2 doubles lost, but 3 doubles with David Simpson and Owen Urban pulled through and won in exciting fashion. Considering it was very windy, the singles matches were even more of a challenge. Singles 1 through 5 lost, but Urban was able to pull out another win. I"t was a hard loss for the Warriors on a season ending game." Coach said, "I loved coaching these boys and seeing them improve every time we played. It was great fun, and they should feel proud of themselves." 

The varsity girls and boys lacrosse team will be playing in the quarterfinals of the NCISAA State  Lacrosse Tournament on Thursday, May 12.  Support the Warriors by attending the away game or watch the live stream.

St. David's vs. Asheville School
Varsity Girls -  4:30 PM
Varsity Boys - 6:30 PM

Location:
Asheville School
360 Asheville School Road
Asheville, NC

Livestream:
Girls Game - 4:30 PM
https://events.locallive.tv/events/81613
Boys Game: 6:30 PM 
https://events.locallive.tv/events/81612

Boys lacrosse played Arendell Parrott on Thursday, May 5th. They started off strong and kept at it finishing with a 14-3 victory over the Patriots. Cooper Berkoff scored 5 goals and added 2 assists to lead all scorers as St. David's pulled away in the second half to defeat a very physical Parrott team. The team scored a quick 3 goals in the 1st quarter, but then things unraveled for the boys as turnovers led to 2 opponent goals. Momentum switched to their favor. Warriors rallied for another goal to end the half 4-2. "During half time, we discussed our opportunities on how to correct some our short-comings and we came out ready to play", said head coach Doug Hink. Senior face-off specialist Davis Wall was solid in the first half and continued his great played in the second winning every face-off. This led to numerous offensive possessions and goals; from Berkoff,  from senior middies Harper Pennington (2 goals), and Nolan Homeister(2 goals 1 assist), from John Hauser and Redmond Smith(1 goal each), and from Hank Madden for his 1st goal of the season. Junior attackman Will Horn added another goal to keep the offense rolling. Senior defenseman, Clay Matthews ended his season play with a crowd-pleasing behind-the-back goal that really got the team going and sealed the fate of the Patriots. Super play from Matthews, defensive teammates Henry Koon, Hart Miles and freshman long-pole Walker Tattersail stymied the Patriot offense, as they have done throughout conference play. "Our team played with great character throughout the game, even when the Patriot players got a little out of hand with their physical play. It was a senior night game for our players and what a send off they got. A great crowd of supporters added to the atmosphere and awards were distributed after the game", added coach Hink. Playoffs start next Tuesday. "What a year for the players! Great seniors, great team, great parents and a great school", coach said. 

Many varsity teams, after a rain delay or two, played games on Tuesday, May 3rd. These are their updates: 

Boys Lacrosse v. Cape Fear Academy

Varsity boys lacrosse traveled to Cape Fear and took on a mature and skilled opponent in the Hurricanes who scored at will in the first 2 quarters of the game. Closing out the first half with a 13-1 lead Cape Fear kept the pressure on the Warriors who made every attempt to adjust to their offense but couldn’t keep up with the needed coverage. Many of their shots on goal were from close range – goalie Jack Burke hung in there making good stops but the onslaught continued. Offensive scoring for the Warriors came from freshman attackman Cooper Berkoff (2 goals 2 assists), Harper Pennington (2 goals 1 assist) and senior midfielder Nolan Homeister (1 goal). Reflecting on the team head coach Doug Hink said, “in evaluating our progress this season, the thing I look for is how our team reacts to the stresses of play. Can we learn from it? How do we turn it into a positive? When we do good things, how can we make it happen more often? I've see how we've grown together, how we stick up for one another. We could have quit today, but we tried our best and they just got the better. We’ll move on and be better for Thursday's game on our field at 4pm against Arendell Parrott and we'll try to sweep our series with them.” Their game on May 5^th is senior night so please come out to support our Warriors.  

Baseball v. Grace Christian

After a short delay the boys baseball team continued playing, starting putting runs on the board and didn’t look back. On their senior night they notched a 13-2 against Grace Christian. “It was a great day for baseball and our seniors did not disappoint with a win in their final home game”, said head coach Joe Lebeda.  Davis Crowder thru four innings giving up two runs. Preston Cheek came in a finished it out with a scoreless inning. Leading hitter for the game was Layton Bilderback who had three hits. Both Davis Crowder and Grey McMahon both had two hits. Davis Crowder also had team high of 5 RBIs.  The team will finish their regular season with a game against Trinity  Academy this Thursday May 5^th.

Girls Lacrosse v. Durham Academy

After a rain delay and patiently waiting to take the field after the completion of other games before theirs the girls lacrosse team played Durham Academy on their senior night! The team got to honor our 8 seniors with their families and classmates. The seniors on the team are; Elizabeth Wiley, Margaret Batchelder, Elizabeth Holderness, Ardyn Smith, Samantha Leshnock, Anne Slater Barnes, Anisa Barutis, and Ella Bilderback. Head coach Christia Dougherty said that she was “so proud of the tenacity the team showed despite playing a tough opponent in the Cavaliers. The team had goals by Barnes, Ella Carolyn and Grace Viera. Barnes also had 3 draws and 3 caused turnovers. Bilderback had 3 draws and a caused and important turnover. Youngster Kacky Chapman had two draw controls. In the gold Barutis and Leshnock split time defending a barrage of shots. Lechnock had 11 saves!

Soccer v. Grace Christian

Warriors girls soccer team played Grace Christian on a stormy afternoon that caused some delays on the fields. Once they took the field the team did well to control the ball early in the game but couldn’t quite keep up with their own pace as they only had one sub. Their 0-4 loss was still a great night because they were able to honor their three seniors;  Holden McLennan, Ingrid Moraes and Eirena Klemes. “They have been a very positive influence on the group and I was happy to be able to coach them”, said head coach Jose Cornejo. 

The varsity boys and varsity girls lacrosse teams played on Thursday, April 28th. Here are the team updates from their games. 

VARSITY BOYS v. ARENDELL PARROTT

The varsity boys team travelled to Arendell Parrott to face off in a late season conference game. The Warriors had excellent offensive and defensive play that wore down a much bigger Patriot team. The team has reportedly been working on playing with discipline and energy and the team certainly showed those qualities tonight. On the offensive side, freshman Cooper Berkoff lead all scorers with 5 goals and 3 assists, senior middies Harper Pennington and Scott York had 3 goals each with Scott adding 2 assists. Rounding out the scoring was senior middie Nolan Homeister scoring 2 goals and junior attackman Will Horn added another goal.  Parrott played hard and aggressive the entire game, but when opportunities came to the Warriors they capitalized on them. Davis Wall controlled the face-off the entire game, winning 13 of 14 face-off. This critical play in possessions set the pace of the game for success. Defensively, the 4 long poles of Clay Matthews, Henry Koon, Hart Miles and freshman Walker Tattersail smothered their offensive players everything they touched the ball. Goalie Jack Burke had a some what boring day, making 2 saves from 3 shots on goal. "Our boys made it a long day for the Parrott offense. I'm very proud of our young men tonight, winning in Parrot's back yard. I'm sure they'll be wanting revenge when they come to play us next Thursday on senior day", said head coach Doug Hink. Good job Warriors!

VARSITY GIRLS v. CAPE FEAR ACADEMY

The girls team took the long haul to Cape Fear Academy where they took the field ready to get the win right off the bat. The group started very strong in the first half and with a lot of aggression and competitive enthusiasm they took a few yellow cards that started to take the wind out of their sails. With some of their steam gone the group wavered during an onslaught of opponent office. With four minutes left in the game the Warriors were down by 2 with a score of 5-7. After head coach Christie Dougherty gave the girls a pep talk the girls retook the field with renewed vigor. Senior Anne Slater Barnes got back-to-back goals slicing through the opponents offense with skill and precision. Then, in an exciting last-moment finish, sophomore Grace Viera scored the game-winning goal to seal the win with 48 seconds left! Meanwhile, freshman Carolyn Ames made her debut in goal and with an impressive 13 saves she frustrated the Hurricane offense. The Warriors defense played aggressive and caused over 18 turnovers. Barnes finished the game with 5 goals. "It was an all around great 8-7 victory. A huge team effort", said Dougherty. 

The Warrior's traveled to face a much improved Cary Christian school on Wednesday April 27th. In front of a very supportive opponent crowd the Warriors battled to pull out a 13-3 victory. Back from missing the last 2 seasons (covid and an injury) senior middie Scott York set the tone of play by scoring the first 2 goals of the game, offering one assist and ending the night notching 3 total goals. From then on it was aggressive attacking and goals by freshman Cooper Berkoff who added 4 goals to the tally, Owen Thompson and Ben Brewer who each scored one. Senior middie Harper Pennington took the wind out of the Knight's sails with 2 goals and one assist in the first half. With a frustrated Cary Christian the second half became very physical as the Knights played a more aggressive style, resulting many times in a penalty.  These infractions allowed the Warriors to stretch their lead. Senior middie Nolan Homeister added to the scoring spree capitalizing on offensive opportunities nabbing two goals. "Through it all, our Warriors kept their heads and represented St. Davids well", coach Hink said. Because of the team's great defensive plays by long-poles Clay Matthews, Henry Koon, Hart Miles and freshman Walker Tattersail, the freshman goalie Jack Burke played an impressive game behind his defense. With the victory, the Warriors have climbed to 2-1 in the conference, with 3 games remaining. What a great Warriors Win! 

Some varsity teams played on April 6th. These are their team game updates:

GOLF (Written by Davis Adams '22)

Warriors Capture Sixth Straight Victory

The St. David’s Golf Team traveled to Talamore Golf Club for a match against The O’Neal School and Westchester Academy. Despite missing senior leader Christian Conway, the Warriors stayed focused and collected another win. St. David’s shot a team score of 307, beating O’Neal by 3 strokes, and Westchester by 20 strokes. St. David’s was led by junior Christian Seamster, who fired a majestic 2-over-par 73 to medal in the match. Star senior duo Michael LaSasso and Davis Adams both turned in 5-over-par 76’s. Eighth grader Preston Hage and senior Grayson Chesson both carded 11-over-par 82’s to finish scoring for the Warriors. Eighth grader Spence Saik, despite not feeling his best, managed a 17-over-par 88. The Warriors have some time off over Easter Break, and they’ll look to keep the momentum going when they return to action.

BOYS LACROSSE

After soundly defeating Cary Christian in their last game, the Warriors felt good about their chances against Cape Fear Academy as they hosted them at home. CFA, however, had different plans for the group and came ready to play. Winning most of the face offs, CFA seemingly scored at will and the varsity boys had no answer.  "They are a traditional power house team that plays lacrosse year round and draws a lot of northern families that look to the warmer coastal climate and comfortable living of NC. Because of their commitment to the game, their style of play is fast paced, aggressive and highly skilled.  Unfortunately for us, we were not able to control the ball as we did in our last game," detailed head coach Doug Hink. He added, "we continue to learn from these skilled teams and we are getting better, as we made aggressive adjustments in our game and played a much better 2nd half."  Scoring for the Warriors were senior midfielder Harper Pennington and Nolan Ryan with 1 goal each. Freshman attackman Cooper Berkoff also scored a goal and had an assist.  Goalie Jack Burke had a lot of activity in the goal, taking a lot of shots from the Hurricane offense. Despite the score, Jack did quite well, making 7 on goal saves. "St. David's has a good group of young men representing their school on the field and I'm proud of them," said Coach Hink.

GIRLS LACROSSE

The girls lacrosse team lost to a great opponent in Saint Mary's but played hard and maintained a great competitive approach to a tough scenario. Anne Slater had 6 draws and 4 goals, and she lead with a good attitude throughout the battle. Ella Bilderback had 8 draw controls and 3 goals. She played so hard and really stepped up as a leader on the field. 
"I’m proud of the way my girls showed up and battled for every opportunity. Their goalie made a ton of saves so we’ll be working on finishing our shots, but we look forward to facing Saint Mary’s again soon", said coach Christie Dougherty. 

St. David's varsity boys lacrosse team has worked hard all season and that effort paid big returns as the team ran up a 9-1 lead in the first quarter in their game with Cary Christian on April 5th. Great play from senior face off middie Davis Wall controlled the game throughout the first half of play, keeping the ball away from the Knights offensive team and in the hands of our shooters. Also filling in behind Wall was freshman face off middie Carter Moran, who showed courage and determination,  winning several face-offs. Leading all scorers was freshman attackman Cooper Berkoff adding 4 goals and 2 assists. Also finding the net were seniors, John Hauser (1 goal and 2 assists), Harper Pennington (1 goal and 1 assist), Redmond Smith (1 goal 2 assists),  junior attackman Will Horn (2 goals), freshmen attackmen Owen Thompson and Ben Brewer with two goals each, freshman middie Will Sanguilly got in the scoring column with 2 goals. On defense, the team was clicking on all cylinders with Clay Matthews leading the way with 11 takeaways. (A takeaway is when defensive players dislodges the ball from his opponent's stick and gains control of it.) When Matthews wasn't causing problems for the opponent, senior long pole Henry Koon and freshman long stick middie Walker Tattersail were causing havoc for the Knights' shooters. Versatile senior middie Smith helped fill in on defense in addition to his regular duties. Finally, goalie Jack Burke capped off a great game with 7 saves, securing checked shots, making plays down field and controlling the defensive tempo.  "The team played as a team, but as important, they played with humility and respect. They played St. David lacrosse tonight", said head coach Doug Hink. The team plays again on April 6th at home against Cape Fear Academy. Come support our Warriors to another victory. 

Many varsity teams played on Monday, March 28th. Here are their updates: 

GIRLS SOCCER v. RAVENSCROFT

It was a tough outing for the girls soccer team who traveled to Ravenscroft and went up against a talented opponent. By halftime the team was down 0-7. With two more goals allowed in the second the game was called by mercy-rule and the team fell 0-9. The group is piecing together different levels of experience and will continued to be challenged but Coach Cornejo is certain the group can stay positive and "keep swinging" in their games.

BOYS LACROSSE v. NRCA

In their match-up against NRCA on Monday, the varsity boys lacrosse team came up short. Harper Pennington scored 3 goals during the Warrior's game against the Knights leading the team, but his efforts couldn't quite carry his team to victory. Both teams were balanced with young and old players, but NRCA played a more consistent game pressuring the ball and forcing many turnovers on St. David players, many times leading to goals for the Knights. The game had similar tones to last week's game against Cary Academy, where they played hard in the game unable to cash in with goals when they needed them. Captain and senior Clay Matthews played another outstanding game, causing problems to NRCA offensive player along with teammates Henry Koon and Hart Miles. Goalie Jack Burke continues to show great courage in the goal making saves and getting the ball up field. "Lacrosse is a team sport, and like spokes on a wheel, each player plays an integral role for success. We'll continue to work on areas that need attention and good things will happen for these fine young men", said Coach Hink. Also scoring in the game were Clay Matthews, senior middle Nolan Homeister(1 goal & 1 assist), freshman attackman Cooper Berkoff(1 goal & 1 assist) and senior middle John Hauser(1 assist ). They leave for conference opponent Arendell Parrott on Thursday, the 30th for the teams first conference game of the season. 

BASEBALL v. RAVENSCROFT

The boys baseball team traveled to Ravenscroft Monday, March 28th where the team started off slowly down by 10 runs in the 5th inning. Admirably, the boys fought back hard with 6 runs in the top half of the fifth inning. Another highlight moment of the game was Luke Nelson who had a hit and an RBI which was a really exceptional play. Despite the loss Coach Lobeda said "he was happy to see success in some smaller moments even though they lost." The team fell 6-16 and is back on the field Wednesday when they travel to Arendell Parrott. 

On a wet Thursday, March 24th, a few of our Varsity teams competed. Here are their updates. 

TRACK & FIELD (Written by Mary Elizabeth Martin) 

On Thursday, March 24^th, St. David’s Track and Field traveled to Ravenscroft School to participate in a 5-team meet under very swampy conditions, with Cary Christian, Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill, Carolina Friends School, and Ravenscroft. The team performed well with Kailey Wadsworth tying her own school record with a 4’6 high jump. Strong placings for the women’s team included second place for Laura Martin in the 100-meter hurdles, a first place in the 4x1 relay for Maya Foster, Mary Elizabeth Martin, Isabel Driggers, and Kailey Wadsworth, a second place in the discus for Rebecca Driggers, and a second in high jump and long jump for Kailey Wadsworth. Martin also took second place in the girls shot-put with a personal record breaking throw. Strong events for the men’s team included a first place in the 300-meter hurdles for Ghiair Chisley with a personal record of 46.53, and second place in the shot-put for Fabián Fallas Retaña. Jackson Rouser took first place in the long-jump and broke a school record while scoring first in the discus with a throw of 103’7. The mens 4x400 relay also ran well with William Fox, Dhru Govindji, Kaishun Sato-Choi, and Ghiar Chisley placing third. Overall, the team did very well and had a strong meet. Good job Warriors! 

GOLF: Warriors Prevail in Sloppy Conditions (Written by: Davis Adams) 

It was an emotional day for the St. David’s Varsity Boys Golf Team. Not only was it an important EPIC Conference match, but it was also the first meeting of the season against their rivals, Cary Christian. Despite the soggy and wet conditions at MacGregor Downs Country Club, St. David’s remained focused and determined. St. David’s posted a team score of 291, 3-over-par, defeating Cary Christian by 15, Parrot Academy by 46, and Grace Christian by 83 strokes. Michael LaSasso once again medaled, this time with a blistering 4-under-par 68. Seniors Davis Adams and Christian Conway shot a pair of 2-over-par 74’s, and eighth grader Preston Hage added a 3-over-par 75 to complete scoring for the Warriors. Eighth grader Spence Saik shot 83, and senior Grayson Chesson fired an 87. Coach Wilson was pleased with the effort, and had this to say: “In our 2nd EPIC Conference match at MacGregor Downs in rainy, muddy conditions, our Warrior golfers displayed great composure and focus on the task at hand. We played great golf and scored 3 over par 291 as a team. Beating Cary Christian by 15 shots and other teams by as many as 83 shots, and making an early season statement that we’re here to play hard and win! I’m very proud of our Warrior golfers! Congrats on the WIN gentlemen!” The Warriors look to continue their hot streak on Monday the 28th, where they’ll travel to Lochmere Golf Club for another EPIC Conference match. 

 LACROSSE: Cary Academy defeats St. David's Boys Lacrosse in Overtime

In a really great showing by the Warriors, the team took on Cary Academy on a wet Thursday, March 24^th. The Warriors made a strong comeback against a good Chargers team in the 4th quarter, only to come up short in overtime. In the first half, the opponent outplayed St. David’s and ended up with a 5-2 going into the third quarter. Making some adjustments in the offense and defensive coverage, the Warriors began to chip away at the lead, cutting CA's edge to 7-4 going into the 4th quarter. Not to be denied and sensing that victory was within their grasp, the defense made some key takeaways and got the ball to the offense, who, with great passes leading to scores, cut the lead to 8-7 with 1:30 seconds remaining. Redmond Smith, who filled in for face off middle Davis Wall, who was unable to play, won the face-off which in turn lead to tying score. Smith then won the face-off again, getting the ball to senior middle Nolan Homeister, who had a chance to score the go ahead goal with seconds remaining, but good defense by the Chargers thwarted the opportunity. Going into the sudden death overtime, Smith again gave us an opportunity to gain the offensive possession,  unfortunately with a turnover to the Chargers, they took the ball the length of the field and scored the winning goal to end the game.  St. David scores were made by senior middies Harper Pennington(3 goals and 2 assists) and Nolan Homeister (1 goal). Junior attackman Will Horn added 1 goal and freshman attackman Cooper Berkoff cashed in for 3 goals.  “Tonight we saw a St. David’s team that wouldn't quit and  overcame a deficit and almost pull out a victory against a strong Charger team. Look for more good things to happen to this St. David varsity boys lacrosse team”, said Coach Hink. The boys play again at home on Monday, March 28^th at 4:15 against NRCA.

It was a packed Tuesday of spring season games on March 22nd. Here are the team updates. 

Varsity Boys Lacrosse

It was a beautiful day for lacrosse, but the day belonged to Ravenscroft as they maintained offensive possession for 41 min out of 48 min of regulation play in their game against the Warriors. With the exception the 2nd quarter, the game was closer than the score shows. The team made good progress in all aspects of the game, but the small things have kept the team from making bigger strides towards success. The one goal of the game came from midfielder Harper Pennington who took the ball from down the middle, made a great dodge and got the ball in the net. Freshman goalie Jack Burke did a great job in the goal and despite being peppered from the opponent is showing great promise. The final score was defeat for the Warriors 1-14. "The most challenging part of our season is now behind us and we look for the team to make their mark on the conference", said Coach Doug Hink. 

Varsity Boys Tennis (written by Craig Sanguily)

The Varsity boys tennis team played against Raleigh Charter School at Pullen Park and had another tough loss. With Craig Sanguily and Tom Deloche absent, the lineup had was changed significantly. Lucas Pisciotta played 2 doubles and 1 singles match, losing his singles and one doubles match. The final score was 2-7 with 1 win and great play in doubles from Lucas Pisciotta and Owen Urban. Alex Barroso won his singles with more great play and keeping pressure on his opponent. Coach was "proud of Lucas for testing his limits and playing 3 matches. It was a hard game to win with the absences." The Warriors will play again next Thursday, the 31^st against Arendell Parrot Academy. 

Varsity Girls Lacrosse

The girls lacrosse team hosted Ravenscroft on a beautiful day. The team came out very strong in the first half and stayed neck-and-neck in the score through the half ending the second half only down 1, 7-8. After a tough battle back and forth in the first half, Ravenscroft showed up tough in the second half. Despite a great effort across the board, the team couldn’t get the ball off the draw or find the back of the net in that second half. "I’m proud of the way the girls continued to compete despite it, and look forward to working on our opportunities for improvement." The final score was 21-11 with some really important and impressive play by Anne Slater Barnes, Carolyn Ames, Kailynn Woodall and Margaret Batchelder offensively and some great stops by Samantha Leshnock and Elizabeth Holderness on defense in addition to some awesome stops by Anisa Barutis in the cage. 

The Varsity boys tennis, lacrosse and golf teams competed on beautiful Tuesday, March 15th. Here are their team updates. 

Golf Improves to 3-0 (written by Davis Adams)

The Varsity Boys Golf Team traveled to Lochmere Golf Club, where they played Ravenscroft and Grace Christian for 9 holes. The Warriors continued their solid play, firing a 5-over-par 145, defeating Ravenscroft by eleven strokes, and Grace Christian by thirty-seven. Senior star Michael LaSasso medaled with a one-under-par 34. Eighth grader Preston Hage added a one-over-par 36, with seniors Davis Adams and Christian Conway rounding out the top four with a 2-over-par 37 and a 3-over-par 38 respectively. Rookie Grayson Hanna shot a 10-over-par 45, and senior Jax Nicholson added a 13-over-par 47 to round out the Warriors starting six. Coach Chris Wilson had this to say: “We had a great 1st EPIC Conference match today on this day with great weather at Lochmere. Our team score of 145, 5-over-par, shows that our hard work early in the season is helping us to be ready for our toughest competitors in the coming weeks.” The Warriors look to keep the momentum going on Thursday the 17th, where they will face Forsyth Country Day at Forsyth Country Club in Winston-Salem.

Varsity Tennis Downed by Durham Academy (written by Craig Sanguily)

The Varsity Boys Tennis team faced quite the challenge in the home game against Durham Academy. It was a harder than the normal matchup as Durham Academy is a conference leader. The Warriors all played hard, but despite their hard effort were unfortunately unable to win. Charlie Moses was the match's only winner. He had an amazing comeback, losing the first set 1-6 and coming back strong. Charlie won the 2^nd set 6-4 and sealed the game by winning a tiebreaker 10-7. Charlie did a great job, and the coach really wanted everyone to know how proud he was of Charlie Moses for that brave win. Overall, despite the tough 8-1 loss the Warriors were able to make small improvements and kept a great attitude about playing and learning from their mistakes. The Warriors play again on March 17th at Ravenscroft against the Ravens at 4:00pm. 

Varsity Lacrosse Falls to Durham Academy

The boys varsity lacrosse team played an outstanding team at Durham Academy for 48 minutes, but could only manage 3 goals for the contest. Freshman goalie Jack Burke weathered a storm of shots, and while allowing the 19 goals, he prevented many others from finding the net. This game was another one sided contest with the opponent possessing the ball on offense the vast majority of time. Another bright spot, according to Coach Doug Hink, were the face offs from middle Davis Wall who won 80% for the Warriors. Warrior goals were scored by senior middle Harper Pennington who had 2 and freshman Cooper Berkoff who had 1 with an assist coming from Ben Brewer. While the score was a tough one for the Warriors, the team improved immensely from the past week's outing. The boys play again at home on Thursday, March 17th against Cary Academy. 

The Warriors were excited to kick of their first Friday evening games in the spring season on March 11th on what turned out to be a glorious day of weather after a wet and cold week with many sports cancellations. All at home on our well-kept fields and court our varsity teams hosted worth opponents for many to open up their 2022 seasons. The varsity boys tennis team made a late add to their calendar and played Trinity School. The boys lacrosse team hosted a very talented Nansemond-Suffolk Academy team on the John A. Murray field. The boys baseball team took on Pilot Mill, a conglomerate team that allows kids who are without school teams of their own to compete. Finally, the girls soccer team kicked off the latest game of Friday's match-ups against Friendship Christian at our satellite complex on Yonkers Road. Here are their updates.

VARSITY BOYS TENNIS (written by Craig Sanguily)

In a home matchup against Trinity, the boys tennis team saw some old friends who previously played at St. Davids. It was a tough matchup, as the team was not full strength without Tom DeLoache or Will Jalkut. The lineup had everyone moved up 1 place so, Alex Barroso was playing first seed, Lucas Pisciotta at second seed, Craig Sanguily at third, Charlie Moses fourth, Walker Coley fifth, and finally Owen Urban playing in the sixth spot. All but Craig Sanguily and Lucas Pisciotta won their singles matches. Craig ended with an easy win with a final score of 6-0 in the first set, and 6-1 in the second set. Lucas won with ease as well, both sets ending 6-0. Everyone else struggled a tough defeat against great opponents. For doubles, Lucas and Craig playing 2nd seed won with an 8-4 score.  Third place doubles suffered a hard loss with a 1-8 final score. The coach said, “I’m pleased with everyone's performance, and although we lost, he was proud of everyone for trying their best.” Overall, it was a tough matchup, and Trinity ended up winning in a close game ending with a 6-3 score. The Warrior’s next game is March 22nd at Raleigh Charter School.  

VARSITY BOYS LACROSSE 

The varsity boys lacrosse team played against an excellent Nanesmond-suffolk school out of Virginia and came up short, losing 14-2. Bright spots of the game though, came from senior face-off middle Davis Wall, who was able to win the majority of possessions. Freshman long stick middle, Walker Tattersail, did an excellent job defending and clearing the ball to the offense. Freshman goalie Jack Burke started his first game and perform very well against a lot offensive power from a highly skilled Saint's offense. The half time score was 6-1, which still felt within reach to the team, but the Saint's offense wore the team down in the second half. Scoring for the warrior's was freshman attack man Cooper Berkoff unassisted along with senior middle Nolan Homeister, also unassisted. The captains for this year - seniors Clay Matthews, Henry Koon, John Hauser and freshman Cooper  Berkoff - lead the group well with a lot of communication and effort. Coach Doug Hink added, that "this was a good learning experience for all, providing many aspects of the game for us to improve on."

VARSITY BOYS BASEBALL

The boys varsity baseball team was excited to hit the field and start off their season with good competition in a Pilot Mill team that has different students on their roster from different schools. The team started off early opening up the game with a 3 run home run in the second inning by Leyton Bilderback. Early on there was a great outing by both Bilderback and Grey McMahon pitching. Both Davis Crowder and Grey McMahon also contributed with a couple of timely hits to keep the momentum going and pushing the Warriors to an 11-5 victory over the opponent. It was a "great way to start the season", said head coach Joe Lebeda. 

VARSITY GIRLS SOCCER

The varsity girls took on a talented opponent and with a mixture of different skill levels on their team are still learning how to put all the pieces together. "This early in the season can always be hard", said Coach Cornejo, "because we haven't had a change to practice much together. But, having said that, there were a lot of encouraging performances by some players and as we get more comfortable with one another this team is going to improve quite a bit. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season." The group fell behind early in the game with the Falcons taking an early lead with the first goal in net. The team lost 1-4 with Kate Weston scoring the teams only goals. 

Our Warriors scored the 1st goal of the game, but FCD proved to be too much for our team to handle as they scored often throughout the match. Even though the game was one sided, there were many positives taken from the game. 1st, the team played with heart the entire game and never gave up. 2nd, they played as a team that belong together. 3rd, they played with respect and composure, and 4th, at the end, they all held their heads high and conducted themselves as champions. For the game, senior attackmen Miles Rieker and Cole Diehl each had 2 goals. Joining them was junior middie Nolan Homeister with 2 goals. Senior goal keeper Joe Pisciotta did another great job, stopping many more shots on goal then were let in.   Miles Rieker finished the season with 29 goals and 6 assists and Cole Diehl added 18 goals and 6 assists to lead all scorers for the season. Congratulations go to attackman Miles Rieker and junior defenseman Clay Matthews for earning All EPIC honors.  The senior group of Rieker, Diehl, Pisciotta, Crowder, Barr and Eastmann represented what a        St. David lacrosse player should be.  "Coach Hink said, he thoroughly enjoyed coaching the seniors as well as all the fine young men on this team. What does the future of St. David lacrosse look like? Pretty good to me. Thanks for the memories and the privilege to coach at St. David's".

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.