MSHLAX 6th Grade Boys Recap

On Tuesday evening, April 30, the sixth grade Millburn Short Hills Boys lacrosse team visited a physically tough Clark Township and left with a 7-2 win. Coming off a series of hard-fought losses last weekend, Millburn was hungry for a win and came out white hot. It’s been a long road for the 6th graders who bid farewell to several star players that moved away in the offseason while welcoming many new faces to the growing Millburn lacrosse family. Also new to the team is Coach Howard Shirley whose patience and focus have been a huge asset. The 6th graders had been working almost exclusively on the fundamentals – groundballs, passing, and catching. But recent weeks and a tough practice schedule brought on more positioning and strategy work and the dividends were plain to see on Tuesday night. Millburn controlled the game from the start with a new level of intensity driven by the team’s growing confidence in itself. In a hopeful sign of things to come, the 6th graders played far and above their 2-7 record with everybody contributing to the cause.

Game Captains Sam DiAngelo, Will Rothstein and Reid Shapiro did a terrific job leading the team with their effort and enthusiasm. Game standouts were plenty, with midfielder Dylan Ah Now winning face-offs, scoring a goal and providing multiple assists. Fellow middie lineman Ander Berman scored a “hat trick” as he and Dylan found a strong rapport, including assisting each other’s goals. The swarm at midfield continued as linemates Sam DiAngelo and Noah Silber both scored with Silber notching his first goal of the season. The attack was led by Alex Faust who added a goal in the second half and helped keep the ball deep in opponent territory. Midfielder Jared Barishaw and attackman Ben Schlesinger added strong stick work throughout the game leading to lengthy Millburn possessions. On the defensive side, the starting line of Evan Abraham, Alex Bardello and Jake Roesler were aggressive throughout the game, helping to shut down Clark’s drives quickly. Long-stick middies Evan Cahn and Jamie Nettune were tireless workhorses, helping to create turnovers and move the ball down the field. Another highlight was rookie goaltender Luke Talbert who played the entire game, making numerous saves while letting up only two goals.

“It's great to see when they put all of their hard work together and get the result we had against Clark,” commented Coach Howard Shirley. “They really enjoy playing together which makes a huge difference since we spend so much time together. I always tell them we are a family.” Looking ahead the team will continue to focus on the fundamentals while adding more movement on offense and team communication. Up next, the 6th graders have two home games, hosting Somerset Hills on Friday at 5:30 at Millburn Library Field and Madison on Sunday at 2:35 at Millburn High School.

Clark statistics: Luke Talbert in goal. Goals: Ander Berman (3), Dylan Ah Now (1), Sam DiAngelo (1), Alex Faust (1), Noah Silber (1)