BATH — It took all 48 minutes for this game to be decided, as Gardiner goalie Noah Keene stopped a Mason Savory shot as time expired to preserve a 7-6 win over Morse in a Class B boys lacrosse preliminary game Wednesday at McMann Field.
“That was right down to the end. We knew they were resilient, but it’s nice to come out of here with a win,” Gardiner coach K.C. Johnson said.
The game’s final play began with 13 seconds left on the clock. Coming out of a timeout, Morse needed to move the ball the length of the field to attempt a shot.
“We drew up the play, knowing how they would defend it,” Morse coach Jay Paulus said. “I had (Kehl) Chadwick as my best longstick that could throw. I had him throwing to Sheamus (Mann), knowing they would lock up on him.
“This left Savory open to get the pass and take a shot, which he did. What a great save by their goalie.”
Keene made six saves in the final frame for the No. 9 Tigers.
“During the timeout leading up to that play, I was just hoping they wouldn’t get the ball up the field so quickly, but they did,” said the senior goalie. “I saw them get the ball and stepped out hard to try to save it.”
The win pushes the Tigers (6-7) into a quarterfinal match with No. 1 Greely on Saturday. Morse ends its season at 7-6.
“This was a classic game between Morse and Gardiner,” Paulus said. “K.C. always has his team prepared and they always play us well.”
The first quarter rolled by with each team feeling each other out. But it was Mann who slipped one past Keene at 9:46 to give Morse a 1-0 lead, where the score stood after one quarter.
Connor Manter tied the game four minutes into the second quarter, scoring off a pass from Jake Weston.
The Tigers did not stop there.
They elevated their game, putting 10 shots on goal in the second quarter alone. While Morse goalie Dylan Maybee was spectacular in the net, making six saves, the Tigers found the back of the net three more times, scoring four unanswered goals to take a 4-1 lead into the break. Tanner Hebert, Parker Hinkley and Kyle Johnson spread the scoring around, each getting a tally in the run.
“Dylan was fantastic in net today,” Paulus said. “He wasn’t just making your regular saves, he was using his arms and legs and kicking shots away. What a great goalie he has become this year.”
Gardiner held an advantage in shots, 16-10, and faceoffs, 4-3.
Following a goal by Hebert to open the half, Morse registered the next three goals over a span of three-and-a-half minutes to cut the lead to 5-4. Wyatt Hudson scored a pair, sandwiched around a Dom Green score for the home team.
Gardiner got a key goal from Boynton with two seconds remaining to cushion the lead back to two goal, 6-4, after three quarters.
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