Sweet Home lacrosse brings back most of lineup
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Sweet Home's Donnie Daniels, left, fends off West Seneca West's Eric Gershbacket during the Panthers' 6-4 win last Friday at Sweet Home. Daniels leads Sweet Home with eight points through four games. Sweet Home is 3-1. Photo by Joe Eberle

The Sweet Home boys lacrosse team doesn't have the big guns in Section VI Class B like Amherst or Hamburg but they do return a ton of players with varsity experience.

Thirteen players are back, including tri-captains Craig Stallard and Steve Phillips (defense) and Taylor Heald (midfield).

Panthers coach John Faller said the midfield is a team strength. Also returning in the midfield are juniors Matt Zon, Nick Cavalieri and Eric Galdys and senior Matt Cuddihy.

Zon was second on the team with 64 ground balls. He also won 56 percent of faceoffs. Galdys won 52 percent of faceoffs.

Senior Jim Cardinale, a returning Class B first-team all-star, returns as a long stick midfielder. Cardinale led the team with 93 ground balls.

"He gets a lot of ground balls and can move and make things happen," said Faller. "He puts pressure on the midfielders. Plus he has the speed to take the ball down and set up the offense."

At attack, Faller returns juniors Chris Covel and Donnie Daniels. Covel was third on the team in scoring last year with 25 goals and eight assists. Daniels leads the Panthers in scoring through four games this spring with three goals and five assists.

The team was scheduled to return leading scorer Colin Cardinale (35 goals, 20 assists, Class B second-team all-star) but the junior tore his left anterior cruciate ligament during a scrimmage. Senior Eric Danheiser has stepped in for Colin Cardinale and supplied offense, Faller said.

On defense, Faller brings back, in addition to Stallard and Phillips, senior Nate James.

Sophomore goalie Pat McMahon, cousin of former Sweet Home standout netminder Jon McMahon, gets the start in net. McMahon replaces All-Western New York second-team netminder Chris Lyon.

"He's got good reaction time from being the quarterback on the (JV) football team so he knows how to push the ball up the field," said Faller. "He's been pretty consistent so far this year."

Sweet Home lost its opener to Frontier, 4-2, but has rolled off wins over St. Joe's, 8-6, West Seneca West, 6-4, and Lancaster, 10-4, since then.

The only game the Panthers have trailed this season was Frontier (2-1 at halftime).

McMahon made nine saves against Lancaster, 11 versus West Seneca West and 13 against St. Joe's.

Sweet Home played at Clarence on Tuesday but the result was unavailable before The Bee went to press.

"We're still kind of young," said Faller. "We have to see if we can come together and make up the scoring from Colin Cardinale, whether it is from other people scoring or playing better defense."
Sweet Home 2008 Schedule
4-23 at East ....................... 5 p.m.
4-25 Nichols....................... 5 p.m.
4-29 Hamburg.................... 5 p.m.
5-1 at Lake Shore ............. 5 p.m.
5-3 Victor ........................... 4 p.m.
5-5 Amherst ....................... 5 p.m.
5-7 Grand Island ............... 5 p.m.
5-9 at South ....................... 5 p.m.
5-12 Iroquois...................... 5 p.m.
5-14 at W.S. East.......... 4:15 p.m.
5-16 Lockport .................... 5 p.m.
5-20 Orchard Park............ 5 p.m.