Boys Lacrosse: Woodgrove Storms Past Briar Woods to Clinch State Tournament Trip

Ashburn (May 25, 2012) - A slow start in March doomed the Woodgrove High School boys lacrosse teams hopes of a Dulles District regular-season title, but the Wolverines have dreams of a bigger banner after they clinched a VHSL state tournament spot Thursday with a 12-10 win at Briar Woods in the AA Northern Section semifinals.

Briar Woods (16-2), the Dulles District regular-season and tournament champion, was unbeaten this year against AA level competition with their lone loss coming against AAA power Chantilly, but Woodgrove (14-5) jumped out to a quick start with senior Chad Niergarth scoring three of his four goals in the first 4:12 of play and the Wolverines never trailed in the contest.

"We are peaking at the right time. We struggled early, took some tough losses and we grew as a team. We are getting better each game," said Woodgrove coach Jeff Lewandowski.


Woodgrove opened the year 0-2 including tough 1-goal losses to Dominion and Briar Woods and the Wolverines sat at 3-4 but have won 11 of 12 since with the only loss coming to Dominion, 9-8, in the Dulles District tournament. Woodgrove may get another shot at Dominion in the sectional finals Tuesday May 29, but first the Titans must finish their suspended game at Kettle Run, which resumes tonight.

Though trailing, 8-4 early in the third period, Briar Woods had a habit this postseason of making last-minute comebacks including nerve-wracking double overtime win, 9-8, over Dominion in the Dulles finals and a 11-10 overtime win over Loudoun Valley in the district semifinals.

It appeared the Falcons might work their fourth period magic again Thursday when they stormed back with three quick goals in the opening 2:42 of the last period to make it 10-8 Woodgrove. A real storm, however, sent the teams to the locker rooms for a weather delay and Woodgrove came back out and was able to get a goal from junior attack Kellen McCarthy off an assist from sophomore Conner Loving to make it 11-8 with 5:54 left.

Briar Woods, however, needed just six seconds to get that goal back as senior attack Kevin Cuellar fired in a wicked shot from distance right off the face-off. Briar Woods then narrowed it to 11-10 with 4:28 left as senior Justin Little found the net from assist by senior Connor Cashman.

"It was a good win for us. Briar Woods is a heck of a team. They came out in the second half with their hair on fire. We got up early and to their credit, they came back and didn't quit," said Lewandowski.

The final minutes were played in a constant rain with slick footing but Woodgrove was on solid ground after senior Jeremy Kendall angled in for a goal from close range with just 1:53 remaining.

"The lightning delay was tough for both teams, but we found a way to finish it," said Lewandowski.

Up 12-10, the Woodgrove defense with senior goalie Cody Cunningham (9 saves) making several big saves, held on against a furious Briar Woods attack for the win. As the final second ticked off, the Woodgrove bench stormed the field to congratulate Cunningham and Co. Many of the Briar Woods players, after a great two-year 32-7, slumped to the wet turf as their season came to an end.

While it will be Woodgrove's first trip to States, some of the players with the second-year program made the trip in 2010 with Loudoun Valley High School when the Vikings made it all the way to the state finals.

"(Making States) was a goal of ours from the get go," said Lewandowksi. "Many of the seniors on this team were part of Valley's state run (in 2010) and this has been a big goal of theirs from the beginning. Words can't describe how proud I am of the boys."

The player introductions were still echoing Thursday when Woodgrove jumped up with Niergarth scored 38 seconds into the contest while Briar Woods was being penalized with a 2-minute unreleasable foul. Niergrath took advantage of the extra man to score again 38 seconds later to make it 2-0.

Briar Woods, despite being short-handed, managed to get a goal back on a Cashman shot with 10:26 to go in the first. With the penalty finally expiring and Briar Woods just getting back to full strength, Woodgrove senior Denis Radcliffe scooped up a rebound near the net to make it 3-1 with 9:20 still to go in the first.

Little, who led Briar Woods with four goals, scored at 8:18 off a Cashman feed while Briar Woods had a man-up advantage. The Falcons would not get to within one goal again until the fourth period as Niergarth scored from a Loving assist at 7:48, Kendally struck on a nifty touch shot at 4:30 and junior Tucker Coil took the ball from the face-off and scored seven seconds later to make it 6-2 Woodgrove with 4:23 left in the first.

Little stopped the run with a goal at 2:33 from a Mark Leith assist to make it 6-3 Woodgrove after one. The scoring slowed down in the second as both teams showed patience against tough defenses. There were just two goals in the period with Niergarth scoring his fourth from a Kendall assist at 10:12 and Cuellar scoring at 3:52 from a Little feed.

The biggest hit of the second might have come from Woodgrove goalie Cunningham as just moments after he was knocked to the turf in a scramble for a deflected ball high in the air, he laid out a Falcon with a booming cross-check. While taking a penalty on the play, it showed the Wolverines aggressive state of mind in the semifinal.

Woodgrove, content to wait for an opening in the third, extended the lead to 9-4 as McCarthy scored at 9:14 and Radcliffe, shaking his mark, sprinted in for a goal at 7:08. In the end of the third it was 10-5 Woodgrove after Little scored at 2:29 and McCarthy scored at 1:14 with the skies threatening.

As the storm approached, Briar Woods came out full throttle to start the fourth period with Cuellar scoring a highlight reel, no-look over the shoulder goal just 31 seconds in. That razzle dazzle hpyed the Falcons and less than a minute later Leith scored and then at 9:18 still remaining, Isaac Cook scored to make it 10-8.

Seconds later, however, the teams left the field with lightning in the area and Woodgrove returned ready to clinch their first state tournament trip.

Woodgrove
Goals
Niergarth, Chad 4
Radcliffe, Denis 2
Kendall, Jeremy 2
Coil, Tucker 1
McCarthy, Kellen 3

Assists
Kendall, Jeremy 1
Loving, Conner 3
Loving, Jack 1

Saves
Cunningham, Cody 9

Briar Woods
Goals
Cashman, Connor 1
Little, Justin 4
Cuellar, Kevin 3
Leith, Mark 1
Cook, Isaac 1

Assists
Cashman, Connor 2
Leith, Mark 1
Little, Justin 1