Canon-Mac Knocks Knoch Knights 9-8

By Gary Beam

Prior to last night’s game in Saxonburg, the l lacrosse team would have been sorry to see April come to a close as the Big Macs had gone undefeated for the entire month—before last night’s contest with the Knoch Knights.

Riding the high wave of success that a nine-game unbeaten streak brings also brings with it the chance of encountering that rogue wave, the one that threatens even the largest and most stable of ships.

Canon-Mac players knew that their rematch with the Knights would not be easy, based on their experience surviving a shoot-out back in March at Canon-Mac Stadium and coming out with a 13-10 victory. But the ocean swells were high last night as the Big Macs had difficulty in gaining possession much of the first half with lost face-offs, turnovers, and failed clearing attempts. One could almost hear the cries of Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!, either for the hopes that that the month of May couldn’t get here soon enough, or that the Big Macs ship was sinking as Knoch dominated and took to the half a commanding 5-1 lead.

But after the break, the Big Macs treaded water and patiently chipped away at the lead, pulling within one goal of the Knights, before Knoch scored with only one second remaining in the third quarter to regain a two-goal lead. A goal so late in a period would normally take the sails out of most teams, but somehow good teams find a way to rebound.

With the help of five consecutive Knoch penalties at the start of the fourth quarter, the Big Macs tallied three consecutive goals to take the lead at 7-6 with 5:02 remaining, only to see Knoch take the lead with two goals of their own, a mere 14 seconds apart. After killing a penalty, Junior Richie Leeds scored the tying goal with just 1:42 left in regulation and the two teams headed into overtime, the second for the Big Macs within the past week.

After an exchange of possession by both teams, Leeds provided the final righting of the ship by scoring with 1:47 left in overtime to give Canon-Mac a dramatic 9-8 victory. Big Mac’s goalie Seraphim Livanos contributed to the victory with 14 saves, several of which were big when Canon-Mac was at risk of totally being taken out of the game. In addition to three goals for Leeds, Andrew Hendal and Ben Ward added two goals each and Connor Niemeyer contributed three assists.

The win raises Canon-Mac’s overall record to 13-1. They finish their four-game road trip Wednesday with a game against Division 2-Section 1 rival Greensburg Central Catholic.

Canon-McMillan returns home on Friday, May 4, to face the Baldwin Highlanders. It will be Senior Night as the team’s 15 seniors will be recognized.

Starting with this game recap and running through the four remaining games, a brief snapshot will be run on each of the seniors being recognized in a section called “In the Senior Spotlight."

"In the Senior Spotlight"

Below are first three seniors:

#22 Greg Banner

Greg lives in and is a goalie for the Big Macs. This is Greg’s first year playing lacrosse. Upon graduation, Greg plans on attending Slippery Rock University, undertaking studies in French, and hopes to continue playing lacrosse at a club level. Greg credits his two uncles with providing him with the desire to excel at all that he tasks that he undertakes.

#13 Patrick Beam

Patrick lives in North Strabane and is a defender for CMHS. This is Patrick’s second year playing lacrosse. Upon graduation, he will be attending Robert Morris University to undertake studies in business management and intends to continue playing lacrosse at a club level. His role model was his late “Uncle” Richard Shields, a Sunday school teacher and close, personal friend of his family, who provided Patrick with a moral and spiritual compass by which he attempts to lead his life.

#31 Chris Berzinsky

Chris lives in and is a defender for CMHS. This is the fifth year that Chris has played lacrosse. He is an active member of the Canonsburg Volunteer Fire Department. Chris plans to attend the Rosedale Technical Institute's associate degree program in diesel technology.