Amherst survives biggest week of season
Boys lacrosse
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Williamsville South's Aaron Mong juggles the ball while Sweet Home's Jim Cardinale is on the hunt. Sweet Home won 7-5 last Friday at South. Photo by Joe Eberle Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

Amherst Central boys lacrosse coach Stefan Henn thought going into last week that it would be one of the toughest weeks of the season but with three league victories, the Tigers passed with flying colors.

Amherst improved to 6-0 in Class B at the time with wins over Sweet Home, 10-9, in overtime on May 5 at Sweet Home, Williamsville South, 18-2, last Wednesday and Williamsville East, 11-4, on Friday. The South and East games were at Amherst.

The Tigers lost, 15-6, to Hamters burg on Monday to fall to 6-1, 10-4 overall. Highlights of that game will appear in next week's Bee.

Sweet Home had the best chance out of the three Town of Amherst teams to beat Amherst. The Panthers led, 7-5, at halftime but did not score in the fourth quarter. Amherst's Brian Lawson (two goals, two assists) tied the game at 9-9 with 1:30 remaining in regulation and early in overtime, Casey Rich got the ball off the opening draw and scored to clinch the Tigers' victory. Rich finished with two goals.

Sweet Home's Nick Cavalieri, is on top of a pile that includes Williamsville South's Dustin Ditallo and Sweet Home's Eric Danheiser. Cavalieri scored two goals in the Panthers' victory. Photo by Joe Eberle

"We didn't play a full game," said Sweet Home coach John Faller. "I thought we were more aggressive in the first three quarand but we made mistakes. We took three penalties in the second half. We needed to put the ball in the net a couple more times."

Sweet Home was 0 for 6 on man-up attempts.

Pat McMahon made 16 saves for Sweet Home. Matt Alwess recorded 13 saves of his own for Amherst, including some big stops in the fourth quarter.

Donnie Daniels, Matt Zon and Nick Cavalieri each scored two goals to lead Sweet Home. Eric Danheiser, Mike Halter and Taylor Heald each scored a goal.

Brent Doerflein tallied two goals and two assists for Amherst Sean Smith had a goal and two assists. Dan Cooper posted a goal assist.

South took an early lead over Amherst but it was all Tigers after that.

Amherst outshot South, 37-10, and had 40 ground balls to South's 26. Doerflein (five points, four assists), Cooper (six goals, two assists) and Rich (three goals, five assists) also chipped in for the Tigers. Alwess and Conor Mc- Nally combined for five saves.

Amherst went 5 for 6 on extra man offense chances and 6 for 6 on man down defense.

The Tigers broke open a 1-0 first quarter lead over East with five goals in the second quarter to take a 6-1 halftime advantage. Henn said Kurt Ebsary broke open the game in the second quarter with two goals on the run. Ebsary finished with three goals.

Amherst led, 8-3, after the third quarter.

East coach Ed Greenway said his team missed three golden opportunities in the first quarter that if they finished, would have changed the complexion of the game.

East went 0 for 5 on man-up situations.

Rich had a monster game with four goals and four assists. Doerflein added a goal and five assists. Smith tallied three goals and one assist. Alwess and McNally combined for 11 saves.

Peter Duggan led East with two goals and two assists. Derek Frost and Mike Faltisco also scored. Brad Teal and Austin Weil each had one assist.

Ryan Sheehan made nine saves.

Williamsville East

The Flames were playing well heading into the Amherst game. East beat a good West Seneca East team, 5-1, on May 5 at East and a young North Tonawanda squad, 13-1, last Wednesday at North Tonawanda.

Greenway lauded the East defense against West Seneca East, holding the Trojans to one goal in the last three minutes of the fourth.

"Rashaun Durden and Josh Roetzer communicated well with good help from our defensive middies Justin Barkowski, Michael Brooks and Jay Winzenreid," said Greenway. "They responded well, along with Ryan Dobos an Brian Wallden."

East scooped up 57 ground balls as East led, 3-0, at halftime.

Duggan scored two goals. Faltisco and Frost recorded a goal and assist. Weil scored. Sheehan made 14 saves.

Weil had four goals and three assists, Faltisco tallied three goals and two assists, Blake Dougherty and Frost had two goals and one assist each and Teal scored twice.

Sheehan and MP Joseph combined for eight saves in net.

East led, 7-0, at halftime. North Tonawanda, like West Seneca East, didn't score until the fourth quarter.

East (7-4, 3-3) played Williamsville South on Tuesday but the result was unavailable before The Bee went to press. The Flames play Iroquois at 5 p.m. on Friday.

Sweet Home

The Panthers followed up the loss to Amherst with its poorest loss of the season, 8-6, against Grand Island last Wednesday.

Daniels scored three goals, Zon had two goals and Cavalieri posted a goal. McMahon recorded 11 saves.

Sweet Home closed out the week with a 7-5 victory over South last Friday at South.

Sweet Home led, 4-3, at halftime. The Panthers overcame 12 penalties. Daniels had two goals and an assist. Cavalieri scored twice. Danheiser, Halter and Zon each scored a goal. McMahon made 14 saves.

Trevor Clark and Max Muscato each posted two goals and Mike Glieco had a goal and two assists for the Billies.

Sweet Home (9-5, 4-3) beat Iroquois, 9-7, on Monday. Highlights will appear in next week's Bee.

They play at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday at West Seneca East and host Lockport at 5 p.m. on Friday.