Reading Lacrosse Is Headed To State Title Game

PEABODY - Even with Scituate some 45 miles south of Reading, coach Charlie Hardy figured word of his high scoring pair of Mike Tobin and Jack Geiger had spread and the Sailors would be ready.

He was right. But at last night's MIAA Division 2 state lacrosse semifinal in Peabody, Reading again showed it's not a two-man team, getting five goals from sophomore Colin Comerford to beat Scituate, 11-9. Reading will play Concord-Carlisle for the Division 2 state lacrosse title Saturday at Boston University.

"We knew that Jack and Mike would be double teamed today and that the other people would have to step up, like Colin Comerford, like Dom [Masucci]," said Hardy. "That was big for us today, having them step up. We need the other guys on the team to step up. You always know what you're stars are going to do."

After getting three goals from Comerford in the first half, the Rockets held a 6-3 lead at the break. Comerford made it 7-3 with his fourth goal before Scituate cut the margin to 7-4. That's when the team's began a frantic scoring pace with six goals in less than two minutes.

Comerford scored his fifth to make it 8-4 with 7:21 left in the third. Scituate's Matt Foley cut it to 8-5 at 6:46. Masucci scored his third at 6:10 to make it 9-5, followed seven seconds later by Scituate's Ray O'Brien's goal to make it 9-6. Eleven seconds later Tobin scored his first goal to make it 10-6 and when Joe Bean scored 21 seconds later, a head-spinning pace left Reading with its biggest lead of the game at 11-6. But it didn't last long.

"When you get to this part of the season, these are the games you're going to get. Up and down. When we were up 4 or 5 I said oh man, we got it made. Next thing I know, time out, and please give us a break. That's how it goes," said Hardy.

The pace slowed down but Scituate's Dave Murray scored a late third-quarter goal to make it 11-7 heading into the final 12 minutes.

In the fourth Scituate chipped away. Luke Murphy scored just 32 seconds in to make it 11-8. Seven minutes then went by with no scoring before Murray scored again with 4:33 to play and it was a two-goal game with plenty of time left on the clock. In the last two minutes, Reading took two timeouts, Scituate one. But the Sailors weren't able to beat Reading sophomore goalie Charlie Giuliotti and time ran out on Scituate.

The state title game will be a rematch of a May 23 regular-season game, won by the Patriots 11-6.

Photo by Bob Holmes