Spartans Boys Lacrosse Take Command Early in 12-4 Win Over Madison

After narrowly missing out on a shot at the Patriot District title and earning a three seed in the Northern Region tournament, West Springfield may actually have an easier path to the semifinals than had they grabbed one of the top two spots. First, the Spartans made sure to take care of business in the first round, where a quick start and even stronger finish gave them a 12-4 win over Madison.

Zach Hart scored three goals, Tyler Sutter added two more and had four assists and Kevin Young made 10 saves, withstanding a late charge by the Warhawks, to lead the Spartans to a win that was much closer than the score indicated. West Springfield will travel to Yorktown on Thursday for a much more favorable match up than Patriot District champs Annandale, which hosts Robinson, and runner up Woodson, which travels to Chantilly. Despite the draw, head coach Scott Settar knows that when the stakes are this high, no match up is easy.

“I don’t know much [about Yorktown],” Settar said. “I know only a few teams are left, so I think everybody at that point is going to be a good time. We’re just preparing one day at a time.”

After a delay for inclement weather pushed the opening faceoff back about 30 minutes, West Springfield came out hot and took a 3-0 lead in the opening minutes. That was a far cry from the teams’ first meeting this year, when the Warhawks led 4-1 to start the game before the Spartans rallied for an 8-7 win.

“Coming into the game that’s really what we wanted to focus on – what we need to do to get the game started so that we’re playing West Springfield lacrosse in the first five minutes,” Settar said.

That was apparently enough to keep Young at ease. Nick Gabriel’s long range mark on a man up situation near the end of the first quarter was the only goal Young allowed in the first half, and the senior ensured that Madison never got closer than two goals the rest of the way.

“He’s been a rock all year for us,” Settar said of Young. “Our season’s gonna go with what Kevin does. He’s one of those guys…that does whatever he can to get ready for the game.”

Madison kept it close until the fourth quarter though, as third quarter goals for the Spartans from Jake Flewellyn and Colin McGavin were both answered by Gabriel to keep the score at 5-3 heading into the final period.

Hart scored added his second and third goals during a 5-0 run to start the fourth quarter that gave West Springfield a 10-3 lead as it became apparent that Madison was realizing the game was out of reach. Andrew Russiello’s shot that just trickled past Young was the last bit of hope for the Warhawks, and Flewellyn’s second tally with 2:48 remaining all but guaranteed the result.

While the Patriots may not have the talent that other potential opponents do, Settar believes his team is peaking at the right time and is poised to make a deep run. A win on Thursday would put the Spartans in that much better position to grab one of the three spots the Northern Region is guaranteed in the state tournament.

“We’ve gotten better every day,” he said. “I’ve never seen a more intense bunch of kids playing and practicing come May and the end of the season.”