Dramatic Rally Keep Prep's Lacrosse Hopes Alive

There were a few bumps along the way, but the Fairfield Prep lacrosse team is back where it always expects to be - playing for a state championship.

Thanks mostly to Brendan Rotanz, who turned into a one-man show in the fourth quarter, the Jesuits added another chapter to  their legacy Tuesday night, rallying from a three-goal deficit late in the third period to defeat top seed Staples, 9-8, in the CIAC Class L semifinals at McMahon High School.

This was a lacrosse classic that lived up to its hype. Rotanz certainly had to make older brother Robert, a member of Duke's NCAA Division I national championship team, proud.

The younger sibling scored all four of his goals in the fourth quarter, including three in an explosive 93-second span early in the period, as the Jesuits (17-5), advanced to Saturday's title game against Cheshire. Fairfield Prep is seeking  a fifth consecutive state championship.

Rotanz, a Westport native, regretted not stepping up sooner, but better late than never for the Jesuits, who trailed, 7-4, late in the third and appeared to be on the ropes.

"I was real down on myself," Rotanz said. "My shots were sinking. But, fourth quarter, I knew this could be my last game and I really wanted to go out with a bang. I just stepped it up and the whole team stepped it up. Our defense locked down, played great the second half."

Eager to prove they could perform on the big stage, the top-seeded Wreckers (18-2) didn't back down against their tradition-laden opponent.

Staples stifled Prep in the first quarter, taking a 2-0 lead on goals late in the period by Nate Greenberg and Charlie Ross. Greenberg finished with three on the night.

After the Jesuits grabbed a 4-3 halftime, Staples appeared to have Fairfield Prep reeling after Kip Orban scored his second goal to give the Wreckers a 7-4 lead with 3:04 left in the third.

"They out-hustled us, I think, in the fourth quarter and the late third to get more GBs," Orban said. "They had more heart than us.  At the end, they were just out-hustling us for ground balls. I think that's what in came down to."  

Indeed, after calling a timeout, the Jesuits showed the heart of a champion. Being a Westport kid, Rotanz said he received some grief from his friends.

"I got all my friends in the stands from Westport, (they) gave me a little crap, but it's all good fun," he said. "I loved playing these kids. They have great players and they had a great season."

After Griff McGoldrick began Fairfield Prep's comeback with 2:16 left in the third, Rotanz took over early in the fourth, as his third goal with 8:17 left put the Jesuits up, 8-7. He registered his fourth to make it 9-7 with 3:57 remaining.

Greenberg completed a hat trick with 1:53 left to pull Staples back within a goal, and set the stage for the game's  dramatic conclusion.

Orban and Ross each registered a pair for the Wreckers, while Nick Naki scored once for Staples. McGoldrick had three goals and Tyler Cox and Quinn Kenning one apiece for the Jesuits.

With 50 seconds left, Orban fired a shot that appeared to tie the game. The Staples' fans thought so because the back of the net bulged and began to cheer.

"I looked back, and I thought that was in," Fairfield Prep goalkeeper Gil Long said. "I thought they were going to tie it and we were looking at an overtime."

But Orban's shot wasn't a goal because they ball hit the outside of the net, and the Jesuits were able to kill the remaining time off the clock to advance to another championship game.

"I think playing a lot of out-of-state teams, like a Chaminade or St. Anthony's, makes us battled tested for a big game like this in state," Long said. "We kind of kept our cool in the more tense parts of the game and that really did help us."

But the Jesuits have another huge challenge in front of them. No. 2 Cheshire, which reached the final with a 17-6 drubbing of Glastonbury, already has beaten Fairfield Prep twice this year.

The Rams edged the Jesuits, 9-8, during the regular season, then embarrassed Prep with a 13-5 victory in the Southern Connecticut Conference championship game.

The Jesuits did some soul searching after that defeat and appear to be a re-energized group . They certainly are glad to have another crack at Cheshire and hope the third time is the charm.

'We really just cracked down, tighter and tighter, and harder practices (after the second Cheshire loss)," Rotanz said.

"Everyone's just more focused. We really want this and we're doing all we can to get it."