Blake Gatison scored three goals, two in the fourth period, and Augie Bonadies added four goals and an assist as Hamden held off Amity 10-9 in a Southern Connecticut Conference boys' lacrosse game at Hamden High Thursday.
Amity never led but kept it close throughout in a game that had multiple momentum shifts.
"Especially with it being an SCC game, it was very important to us," Hamden coach Dominick Sannino said. "An important game for the kids. Every time we'd pull away by two or three goals, they'd come right back. It's perseverance on their part, but I'm very proud of my boys for hanging in there. They really gutted this win out."
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Hamden took a 2-1 lead after the first period on an unassisted goal by Gatison with 8:33 left and another unassisted from Harrison Law 30 seconds later.
Mike Choniere answered for Amity with the first of his five goals off an assist from Luke Sacramone to beat Hamden goalie Teddy Kennedy (16 saves) with 53.7 seconds.
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The Green Dragons (3-1) extended their lead to 5-3 at the half on two goals by Bonadies, one a breakaway with 10:03 left, the second assisted by Jack Flanigan with 7:27 left, and another unassisted score this time from Colin Doyle, who ran down the left sideline from midfield before angling in and beating Amity goalie Alex Dahlgard (12 saves) with 3:23 to go.
The Spartans' goals in the second came from Spencer Penero from 15 yards directly in front of goal on an assist by Tyler Vallie with 6:09 left and Choniere's second score with 1:52 to go. Amity's Miles Pretlove cut it to 5-4 with 11:01 left in the third, but Hamden came right back with another Bonadies score from right in front, assisted by Coleman Dobb with 4:24 to go, and one from Dobb with Bonadies returning the favor on an assist with 3:11 left to make it 7-5.
"I think we really underestimated ourselves and the other team. I think Hamden played great," Amity coach Frank DeRubeis said. "Their game was based on emotion. I coached there last year. A little bit of a rivalry going on and the emotions played into it."
Amity made its biggest charge in the fourth period behind three goals from Choniere. The Spartans started by cutting it to 7-6 on a goal from Pretlove assisted by Codey Ellison with 9:44 left in the game. Hamden answered with Gatison's unassisted goal with 8:48 to go and a Bonadies unassisted goal 22 seconds later to make it 9-6.
Amity wasn't done. Choniere scored with 6:32 to go on an assist from Brandon Capuano to make it 9-7. Gatison struck again with an unassisted score with 7:10 left, and then Choniere added two goals, the first assisted by Penero with 4:45 to go and the last unassisted with 2:07 left.
"Our transition worked pretty well (in the fourth period)," DeRubeis said. "We have 12 seniors on the team, so we're experienced in the offensive end. We're doing a whole bunch of new things with these guys. It's a learning process."
Hamden kept control for the last two minutes with Gatison running out the clock in the final seconds behind the Dragons' goal.
"Blake (a captain) has really taken a leadership role on the team," Sannino said. "I asked him to step up at the beginning of the year and he took a role controlling the ball, he's a student of the game. Only been playing for four years and one of the hardest workers out there.
"Augie, the same thing. Always hitting the wall. Always practicing, always listening. A tribute to them."
