By Mike Kelly.
The defending 2021 Shoreline Conference Champion Haddam Killingworth High School Cougars boys lacrosse team scored an impressive out-of-conference victory Thursday evening, April 21, 2022 defeating the St. Paul Catholic High School Falcons 8-6, pushing their 2022 season record to 4-1. The Cougars were in a hole early, falling behind two goals after a turnover in front of the HK crease led to an easy punch-in for the St. Paul attack. From there HK found its footing, beginning with Corey Phipps assisting his brother Alex Phipps above the right post for the quick strike, closing the gap to within one of the Falcons, 2-1.
Early in the second, HK scored again, this time A. Phipps feeding attackman Aaron Mcleod for the equalizer, 2-2. St. Paul responded with a fast-break strike to again take the lead, 3-2, but the relentless Cougar defense turned momentum in their favor when d-pole Matteo Piacenti took one coast-to-coast, tying the game 3-3.
In perhaps the game’s most dramatic moment, with literally a second left on the game clock in the second period, C. Phipps corralled a rebounded shot off the right post and dropped it in for the score, giving HK the 4-3 advantage heading into the break. From there the Cougars never trailed again.
In the first moments of the third quarter, St. Paul scored quickly in transition to knot the game 4-4. A. Phipps answered during a man-up advantage, finding the net with a dodge and shot from above the right side of the crease, 5-4 HK. Moments later A. Phipps struck again, this time dodging down the left alley and firing an overhand scorcher for the 6-4 HK lead. Middie Nolan Braren got in on the action, cutting in front of the left-side of the cage for the goal. The score came with a nifty assist from attackman C. Phipps, who made the pass from the ground after wrestling a loose ball from the Falcon D.
St. Paul scored late in the fourth period to close to within two, 7-5 HK, but the dominant HK defense again stymied any notion of a comeback. D-pole Nathan Kelly forced a loose ball in front of the Cougar crease, LSM Jack Insalaco scooped it and ran up field, finding middie Gunnar Howes free for the quick strike, 8-5 HK. In the waning moments St. Paul scored a garbage time goal for the final 8-6 HK victory.
It should be noted that the Cougars maintained a significant possession advantage throughout the game thanks to yeoman’s work from Cooper Pitts at the face-off X. Also, as mentioned, HK defenders Sam Young, Piacenti, Aiden Griswold, Kelly, Insalaco, d-middies Pitts and Jake Mckenzie swarmed and frustrated the Falcon attack all day long. Again, a great team win for the defending champions. Cromwell awaits this Saturday.
Photos by Liz Griswold.
