Coming off a tough 9-7 loss to 3rd ranked Georgetown Prep, Landon, placed 9th in the DigitalSports National Lacrosse Rankings, had a talented opponent when they faced 13th DeMatha on April 14, looking to get things back on track.
DeMatha, entering the game undefeated at 12-0, wasted no time in getting a jump on the slow-to-start Bears. Acquiring a 5-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, the Stags dominated Landon early on.
In the second quarter, Landon found a way to shut down DeMatha’s powerful offensive, starting what would become a 30-minute goalless streak for the Stags. All the while, Landon’s attack got to work, netting three before the end of the half to bring the game to a two-goal margin with two goals coming from Sean O’Brien and one from Nate Buller.
The third quarter was highly defense. DeMatha was once again kept off the scoreboard. Landon looked great coming out of the half when Sam Lynch hit O’Brien for his third goal of the game within the first minute of the quarter. However, after that, the Bears failed to find the back of the net for the remained of the quarter.
Like the third, the final quarter was a strong defensive showing. The Stags scored midway through, taking another two-goal advantage. Things looked bleak for the Bears as the clock ticked under two minutes left in the game.
In a sudden twist of events, Colton Rupp dodged past his man and struck mesh to cut DeMatha’s lead in half with 1:32 remaining. Off a faceoff win from Jarrett Witzal (12-of-15 for the game), Rupp blew by his defender again thirty seconds after his first goal and tied the game up at six-a-side. Then with seven seconds left in the game, O’Brien hit Sam Lynch for the game winning goal. The game ended at Landon 7-DeMatha 6.
Despite a shaky start, Landon worked together for an important win over a talented team. The chemistry between Sam Lynch and Sean O’Brien, a duo that has been navigating through defenses all season, was an important factor in the Bears’ comeback. Both of Lynch’s assists were to O’Brien for two of his three goals. The O’Brien returned the favor late in the game, setting Lynch up for the game winning goal.
Advancing to 10-2, Landon next faces Bullis on April 15.
Key Players:
Sean O’Brien- 3 goals, 1 assist
Sam Lynch- 1 goal, 2 assists
Jarrett Witzal- 12-15 at faceoffs
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