::St.- X lacrosse ;beats Moeller 11-7 if--;L:L- (}/

By Dave Schutte ='!1!£ Cincinnati Enquirer ::Four goals in 3:17 during the -..third quarter, lifted the St. Xavier •:lacrosse team to an 11-7 victory over Moeller at Reading Stadium on Saturday. -.- "Three of the four goals came "J}'hen Moeller was a player short because of penalties," said St. X ,Senior attacker Niall Wright who commited to the University of Delaware. · "It doesn't make any difference who you're playing. It's hard to come back, and I could feel them ...(Moeller) letdown. The goals ~were also a big emotional lift for us." · Until last season, St. Xavier -Was one of the only Cincinnati ""teams to defeat Moeller (12-8), ~"the first Cincinnati school to es:~fablish a lacrosse program begin"'ning in 1988. This is St. X's sixth l'P" season. ~~--."We were Division II last year. -~and a lot of Moeller people said 'the victory was a fluke," said ;Wright, who scored three goals ; and had one assist Safurday. "The

monkey is now off our backs." Wright's decision to quit select soccer and take up lacrosse eight years ago has paid dividends, not only in terms of an athletic scholarship but also for the St. X program. A 6-foot-3, 195 pound attacker, · Wright is the Bombers' all-time leading scorer with 163 goals, 30 this season. The Crusaders took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Tim Faessler 1:50 into the game. St. Xavier tied the score less than a minute later, but Moeller's Brendan Doran and Ben Brugger scored to make it 3-2 . Wright tied the score 3-3 with 20 seconds remaining in the first quSarteXr. . . d . t. av1er never tra11e agam, although Moeller pulled even at 6-6 less than two minutes into the third quarter on a goal by David Overberg. . . "Lacrosse IS a game of momentum and our kids never gave up," St. Xavier coach jeff Bumiller said. "We were relaxed to start the third quarter but we got the next· two goals which were big." Bumiller was referring to goals

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~ t-f, Clj The following Moeller High s_chool lacrosse players were DiviSion I all-Ohio picks for the :?001 Lacrosse honors

St. Xavie1r's Bob Groenk• controls the ball while Moeller's Andrew Murray (left) plays defense.

by Roger Long with 7:27 remaining and by Ben Syzek at the 5:22 mar~ for an 8-6 lead. . M1ke Ralterman and Bob Groenke (4:10) also found the goal during the St. X scoring frenzy. "Lacrosse is a game of control and we had good ball control today," Bumiller said. "Blake Seifr-

ied (goalie) has stepped up and made some great saves to keep us in games like he did. today." St: Xavier next big test is May 11 when the Bombers travel to Columbus for a showdown with Upper Arlington, the defending state champions. ·

season ·- Brend an. 0 oran, senior . mld?le, first team; Nick Lobert' s~niOr,_ .defense, second team; M~ke ~lletmarschen, junior, long Stick middle, second team· Andrew Murray' JUniO~. · · · '· team· middle third· Rafael c. ourtemanche · ' att k h , sen1or, . ac_' ·: onorable mention; Mike ~lie, JUnior, .attack', honorable mentiOn; Chris LaMonde. senior . defense, honorabl~_mention. • '

Moeller still best boys lacrosse team Crusaders could get challenge from St. ·xavier By Dave Sc:hutte t:-f-).. 0-- (/ / llte Cincziznafi Enquirer

Moeller's Brendan Doran runs the ball at a recent practice. The Crusaders meet St. Xavier at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Moeller and everyone else. This has been the state of boys lacrosse in Cincinnati the past 10 yeaq> with Moeller dominating, losing only once to an area team, that being last season to St Xavier, which won the 2000 Division II state title. However, Moeller's dominance could be coming to an end. Indian Hill coach Mike Ward predicts SL X and possibly his team could pass the Crusaders this year. "Everyone has caught up with Moeller and the party is over," Ward said. 'They don't have the respect anymore." Despite Ward's prediction, Moeller is the team to beat among the 10 Cincinnati schools sponsoring lacrosse programs. Under first-year coach Dan Shannon, Moeller has a 44 record, losing to Columbus powers Upper Arlington, Dublin Coffman and

Thomas Wortllington and Cleveli!nd great defenseman to an offensive SL Ignatius. · position: "Upper Arlington has the state "Our weakness was at midfield, trophy bolted down at the school," and I felt Brendan could make the Shannon said. transition and add some offense Although· Shannon has a foot- (eight goals)," Shannon said. "He ball and baseball background, he has successfully traded in the long spent time at teaching camps last stick for the short stick and done a summer and attended Oinics to greatjob." . Andre Murray (midfield), Nick learn tlte game. ''I've surrounded myself with Lobert (defense), Tim Faessler former players Ooe Leever, Brad (midfield), Chris LaMond Phillips, James O'Keefe, Matt (defense) and Matt Huber (attack) Kennedy,. Chad Siegert, Doug are other players who stand out for Bay) who know and understand the Crusaders. the game and relate with the play"I've broken thingS into ·small elements and taught from there," ers," Shannon said. · Shannon inherited a Crusader Shannon said. "We've established team that lost 12 seniors to gradua- rules wh,ich don't limit how the tion. players can operate." The dominance by .Columbus Brendan Doran, a senior midfielder who gave up football and teams is a reflection of the numerbaseball to concentrate on lacrosse, ous youtlt programs there that get has accepted a grant-in-aid from · youngsters involved as early as Mercyhurst University, an NCM first grade. '. 1 Division II top 20 team in Erie, Pa Indian Hill, ' Anderson "My dad played at Villanova and Township, Mariemont, encouraged me," Doran· said. "I . Montgomery and ·West Chester played defense last year but moved are now involved in youth proto midfield this year. It's been grams, which could lead to more tough getting use to the shorter success in the future.\ stick used by midfielders." 'There are 47 teams· state wide Shannon explained moving a and 10 in Cincinnati,': Shannon

aro~nd

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said. "It's also catching on with the girls and there are about six-or- : seven schools with teams." · As for Moeller taking a backseat:. to SL Xavier (fr-2) and Indian Hill, 1: ShanQon takes a wait-and-see '; approach. ., The teams play Saturday at :: Reading Stadium. 'They beat us by two goals last ~ year, and it should b~ a good game," l Shannon said. "We were a little tentative mov- ; ing up to Division I but we've ; proved we can play with ~ybody," · SL X parent representative Tom : Syzek said. "We played both i Columbus teams close, which was 1 a confidence builder." · Niall Wright has scored 20 goals : and is one of SL Xaviers best offen- ! sive players, while three-year " starter Blake Seifried is goalie. : There are three divisions in ; lacrosse "with St.i· Xavier and 1 Moeller the only Cincinnati ' schools in Division I. Indian Hill i competes in Division II. : The remainder of teams are i Lakota, Sycamore, · Cincinnati '· Country Day, Summit Country' Day, Wilmington Anderson and : Mariemont ;