If you were to take a stroll down Morrissey Boulevard, you would find a certain lacrosse program still searching for its fair share of respect among the state’s top squads. Now, if you haven’t already bought into the hype around BC High’s latest run, it might be time to start.
On Tuesday, the Eagles knocked off yet another obstacle, and they relied on their senior attackmen to do so. Will Emsing turned in five goals to go with four assists, while Patrick Maroney added a seven-point boost (four goals, three assists) himself, as BC High erupted offensively in the first half en route to registering a convincing 15-7 win over Catholic Conference rival Xaverian.
“We had a good week of practice,” said BC High lacrosse coach Marcus Craigwell. “The guys are dialed in against a Catholic (Conference) rival, Xaverian. So I didn’t have to say much, but that was probably one of the best halves that we’ve played, the first half. We were dialed in, we were unstoppable. I told them that if we played like that, no team can play with us. It was fun to watch.”
BC High (6-1) entered this matchup on a hot streak, having won four straight since dropping a tough 15-9 game to St. John’s Prep back on April 11. During those contests, the Eagles had out-scored their opposition at a 55-18 clip. Not to mention, the school also captured the Players Cup championship with a 12-4 win over Reading this past weekend, so it should come as no surprise that they came out looking to carry on their momentum. It didn’t take too long for Emsing to leave his mark, as he buried two goals in the first 1:44 of play. Cooper Chapman proceeded to snipe a pair of quick goals himself, before Maroney quickly fired a shot into the cage with 3:58 to go in the opening quarter. As many fans continued to race for seating, the Eagles found themselves with a 5-0 lead in short order.
“Ball was moving around,” Emsing said. “Team was just flying around. FOGOs (Sean) Coogan and Shane (McDonnell) were doing great. So, I think our ball-to-stick work was great the whole time. We were flying around on (ground balls), and our energy was up there, so I think that’s why we came out hot.”
The Eagles were far from finished. Xaverian (6-2) received a goal from senior attackman Dante Mariani with 2:46 to play in the opening quarter, but it was the only tally the Hawks could muster in the first half. BC High would tack on four more goals in the second quarter before coasting into intermission with a stunning 11-1 advantage.
“Xaverian every year is the game we get up for,” Maroney said. “Obviously, it’s a big rivalry. But I think our confidence is really high. We’ve kind of had their number for the last few years. So, nothing new. I think coming into every game, we have the same mindset. It’s not about the team on the other side, always about us, and what we can do.”
The Hawks were able to find a spark early on in the second half with a quick 3-0 scoring run to open the third, but by that point, Xaverian’s fate had been sealed. Mariani and Henry Hasselbeck paced the Hawks with a pair of goals apiece, while junior midfielder Sebastian Reyes sniped a goal while adding four assists.
Chapman finished with a hat trick and tallied three assists for BC High in the winning effort.
“We’re on a high right now,” Emsing said. “I think we can ride that wave until the end of the season. I think it’s about us being confident in ourselves, and our team scheme, not worrying about their scheme. That’s been a priority for us this year, just making sure we’re focusing on ourselves, and not the opponent. That’s helped us a lot this year.”