When Monticello’s Austin Haverstrom took the opening faceoff and scored eight seconds in Friday night, it looked like it was going to be a long night for the Charlottesville boys lacrosse team.
That did not turn out to be the case.
CHS used a 5-0 run in the second quarter to race ahead of Monticello and the Black Knight defense held off a second-half charge by the Mustangs en route to a 15-11 win on the road in Jefferson District competition. The win gives CHS a measure of momentum heading into Tuesday’s home clash with crosstown rival Albemarle.
Three Charlottesville players registered at least three goals — Ephraim Antwi, Thomas Stadler and Aidan Hockett. Stadler’s four goals led the team, while Antwi and Hockett each had three, accounting for two-thirds of the Black Knights’ offensive production.
“Hats off to Charlottesville,” Monticello coach Tucker Tapscott said. “That’s about all I’ve got.”
After a tight first quarter that ended with Charlottesville ahead 3-2, the Black Knights took control of the game during the first part of the second quarter, getting consecutive goals from Stadler 30 seconds apart to earn some breathing room. Antwi, who had scored twice in the first quarter, completed the hat trick with 6:35 left to to make it 6-2. Both Monticello goals came from Haverstrom, the second coming with just over a minute to go in the first quarter.
It didn’t stop there. Stadler and Antwi each scored again to extend the lead to six, and Monticello didn’t stop the bleeding until a man-up goal by Trevor Bratton with 2:45 left before halftime, breaking a scoreless drought of nearly 10-and-a-half minutes. The Black Knights took a 9-3 into halftime.
The Mustangs began to show signs of life in the third quarter courtesy of improved performance in the faceoff circle. After surrendering consecutive goals to start the second half, Monticello got three in a row from Alex Norris, Cody Catlett and Cole Vincel to trim the Charlottesville lead to 11-6 after three quarters.
“We decided to let them back in it there in the second half,” Charlottesville coach Doug Gaspar said. “I’m not quite sure what happened with our faceoffs, we were doing a good job of that in the first half. I think they played the ground balls much better in the second half.”
Monticello whittled into the lead even more in the fourth. Handley Hauser and Mitchell Plantz sandwiched goals around a nifty bounce shot from Charlottesville’s Aidan Hockett. That’s when Haverstrom struck again, scoring with 6:37 remaining, completing his hat trick to get the Mustangs within three, the closest they had been since the second quarter. But CHS’ Sam Neale registered his first goal of the night with 5:42 left to breathe life back into the Black Knights.
“The fans got an exciting game,” Gaspar said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Hockett followed that up by completing his own hat trick on a coast-to-coast fast-break, and Charlottesville controlled the ensuing faceoff, allowing the Knights to begin to salt the game away. There simply was not enough time for Monticello to climb out of the hole, despite late goals from Vincel and Bratton. Stadler’s fourth of the game with a minute left all but sealed the game for Charlottesville.
“We got better on faceoffs at the end,” said Charlottesville’s Ashton Wenzel, who registered a first-quarter goal. “That allowed us to possess it more and keep it away from them.”
For the game, the Black Knights outshot the Mustangs 27-20. Goalkeeper Zachary Russell registered eight saves. Haverstrom led Monticello with three goals while Vincel and Bratton scored two apiece.
