Boys Lacrosse Set to Defend State TOC Crown

UNION–On Wednesday night at Kean University, the undefeated Summit Hilltoppers defeated the Ridge Red Devils 11-4 in the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions semifinals. With the win, Summit (22-0) not only advances to the TOC finals to defend their 2009 title, but also tied the New Jersey high school boys' lacrosse state record with 44 consecutive wins.

"It feels great," Summit senior defender Bobby Lawrence said. "It's a little overwhelming to think about, but we'll just treat this next game like any other and play the way we've played all season."

Summit won the opening face off and came out firing. The Hilltoppers took four shots in less than a minute but were unable to put one past Ridge senior goalie Jonathan Wilkins. Summit continued to control possession, and just over four minutes into the game, junior Tim Yager assisted senior Johnny Scioscia for the first (but certainly not the last) goal of the TOC semifinals.

Summit scored again exactly two minutes later, at the 5:43 mark, when Danny Feeney assisted a cutting Scioscia for the 2-0 advantage. The Hilltoppers continued to pressure Ridge's defense, and with 4:27 remaining in the first quarter, junior Michael Ford faked high and shot low to give his team a 3-0 lead.

The remainder of the first quarter was a battle between goalies. Ridge's Wilkins tallied three more saves to bring his first quarter total to six stops, and Summit goalie Brian Feeney grabbed two ground balls and made a point blank man-down save with 25 seconds remaining in the quarter. After 12 minutes of play, Summit led 3-0.

Tough, physical play defined much of the second quarter. With 6:25 remaining until halftime, sophomore David Kalin intercepted a Ridge pass, ran the length of the field, and assisted Scioscia for his third goal of the game and a 4-0 lead. The Hilltoppers put one more point on the board at the 1:33 mark when senior Jake Hall made a crisp pass to Sonny Round, who then scored off a difficult sidearm shot after absorbing a hard hit from a Ridge defender.

Although the Red Devils controlled more possession in the second quarter, Summit goalie Brian Feeney came up with two more man-down saves to hold the Red Devils scoreless at the half. Summit held a 5-0 lead at the break.

"We were aggressive," Summit head coach Jim Davidson said. "We hit a stretch where we were maybe too aggressive and we created some opportunities for their offense, but Brian came up big."

Goals came early and often in the third quarter. Three minutes in, Summit's Kalin scored a rifle shot from 15 yards out to give his team a 6-0 advantage. Although the Hilltoppers won the following face off (their fifth straight) and took a quick shot, Ridge's Wilkins was there to corral the save. The Red Devils took advantage of the possession, scoring their first goal of the game off a low shot by Jamie Scott.

Two minutes later, with 4:59 left in the third, Summit struck again when Ford assisted Yager for a hard shot to the corner of the cage. Ridge won the following face off, but Brian Feeney stood his ground and made a reaction save to give his team possession. The Hilltoppers once again took advantage when Marcel Godino assisted Ford for another Hilltopper goal. Summit now had a commanding 8-1 lead with 3:48 remaining in the third quarter.

Despite the score differential, Ridge continued to play aggressively and fight for every loose ball. The Red Devils won the next two face offs and were able to score off of each with goals by Jason Mertz and Alex Otero. In just one minute of play, the Red Devils had scored twice to give their team some hope, now trailing 8-3.

"We knew Ridge would come out and play hard," Davidson said. "They're a tough team."

As they've done in so many games this season, the Hilltoppers dashed any hopes of a comeback with a swiftness and confidence characteristic of a defending champion. Summit scored the next three goals of the game, two off of Scioscia assists to Sonny Round, and another goal by Tim Yager. With 7:45 remaining in the fourth quarter, Summit had extended their lead to 11-3.

Although Ridge's Alex Byrnes scored the game's final goal with 3:36 left on the clock, it was not enough to overcome the undefeated Summit Hilltoppers–a team that entered Wednesday night's game determined to reach the TOC finals to defend their crown.

"It was a great win today, and now we've got to go back to work tomorrow," Davidson said.

Summit senior Johnny Scioscia led his team with five points (three goals, two assists) on Wednesday night. Scioscia has now tied Summit High School's boys' lacrosse career scoring record with 230 career points.

No. 1 Summit will face No. 2 Saint Joseph, Metuchen in the Tournament of Champions final this Saturday at 3 p.m. The game will be held at Yurcak Field on the Busch Campus of Rutgers University (New Brunswick) in Piscataway.

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