READING — After its first loss of the season to BC High last weekend, Reading’s boys lacrosse program wanted to send a message that the Rockets still belong among the state’s elite.
On Monday, the Granara trio delivered that message. Cullen Granara paced things with a hat trick, with Robbie Granara (two goals) sniping the eventual game-winning tally. Meanwhile, Finn Granara (10 saves) preserved the victory in the cage as Reading knocked off Billerica in a highly anticipated 8-7 thriller.
“We didn’t think we played particularly well (against BC High),” said Reading coach Charlie Hardy. “Today, we played better. This is a good team, well-coached. Good athletes, hard nosed kids. (Billerica’s) a good program, as we all know.”
The matchup featured arguably the top two squads in the Div. 2 field. From the opening whistle, the schools exchanged blows. After falling behind 3-1 early, the Rockets responded with three unanswered goals of their own. Cullen Granara buried his first tally with 1:57 to play in the opening frame, before Ethan Haggerty netted back-to-back goals and Reading seized a 4-3 edge with 7:36 remaining in the first half.
Kam Tremblay sniped a goal for Billerica (5-3) with 5:24 left in the second quarter, as the two schools entered the half in a 4-4 deadlock.
“I think this was really big (for us),” Cullen Granara said afterward. “But I thought we could have played better than we did. We could have done a lot more. We dropped some passes, threw some balls that we shouldn’t have.”
Despite the occasional turnover or penalty however, the Rockets remained close in the second half. With 11:43 remaining in regulation, Cullen buried his third goal to complete the hat trick, as Reading jumped in front, 7-6. Robbie would tack on his second goal 59 seconds later. The sequence proved vital, as Billerica would net a goal off a shot by Jason Martin with 1:40 left to trim its deficit to 8-7.
With the Warriors desperately in search of an equalizer during the waning seconds, Aidan Gibbons fired a rocket at Reading’s net. Finn Granara read the play perfectly, coming away with the clinching save.
In addition to the Granaras’ efforts, Reading was also powered by Haggerty (two goals, assist).
Martin and Tremblay each netted a pair of goals for Billerica, while Gibbons added a four-point outing (goal, four assists) for the Warriors.
“I noticed when the shooter hit his little ‘hitch’ move and got into the middle, I knew he was going to have time to shoot,” Finn Granara said. “Real quick in my mind, I analyzed what was going to be open for him. I kind of knew how he was shooting, he likes to shoot high. When he shot that, I kind of anticipated where it was going to be, and I tried to play the clock down from there, tried to get it to my pole. Tell him to check it at the end. Our offense came up big at the end, drawing flags, being physical. So yeah, (nice bounceback win).”