After starting its 2014 season with a humbling defeat at the hands of the rival Pinkerton Academy Astros, coach Joe McCune’s Londonderry High boys’ lacrosse squad collected four consecutive Division I wins. And that quartet of successes included victories over Concord and Nashua South last week.
In the team’s 11-4 drubbing of Concord at LHS on Wednesday, April 23, the hosts raced out to a 6-2 halftime lead and then outscored their guests by a 5-2 margin in the second half to put the win away.
Nick Yennaco was the big offensive stalwart for the victors, potting four goals and assisting on two others. Kyle Hussey contributed two goals; John Derhak, Andrew Mitchell, and Lewis Carroll were all good for a goal and a helper; Peter Navarro and Devin Brunet each scored once; David Wiedenfeld collected two assists; and Scott Beedham notched one.
Goalie Erik Kenison made 10 saves for his Lancers, and Dan Kirby had one.
McCune’s young men were good for 11 goals again in their road contest at Nashua South two days later, but this time that number of markers got them an 11-8 win.
The Lancers led 4-1 after one quarter and 6-4 at the half. And by out-scoring their hosts by a 4-0 count in the third quarter, the locals rolled into the fourth and potentially final period with a 10-4 advantage.
South outscored its guest by a 4-1 margin in quarter four to make things more interesting than Londonderry would have liked. But the Lancers still rolled home with a victory.
The Purple Panthers’ goalie, Brian McKinley, helped to keep his squad in the match by making 19 big saves, but the Lancers still got goals from Hussey (three), Wiedenfeld (two, with two assists), Yennaco (two goals,one assist), Shayne Holland (two goals), Derhak, and Max Hastings (one goal each). Mitchell and Mike Donlan each dealt out an assist. Kenison made seven saves in the Lancer cage for his 4-1 crew.
This past Monday, the Lancers faced off against the Andover High (Mass.) varsity laxmen at LHS in the third annual HEADstrong Lacrosse Game.
The lacrosse programs have organized the annual benefit game to raise awareness for the HEADstrong Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to carry on the legacy and vision of HEADstrong founder Nicholas Colleluori through advocating, fundraising, and supporting those affected by blood cancer and those working toward eliminating it.
Colleluori was a Hofstra University lax star who died of cancer in 2006. He established the HEADstrong Foundation soon after being diagnosed.
The LHS team again made a donation to the foundation, adding to the over $4,000 it has donated from fundraising over the past two years.
The Lancers wore fluorescent green shirts and colorful shorts used especially for this game.
In the match, the Lancers wound up dropping a 10-8 decision to the Bay Staters despite a 17-save performance from keeper Kenison and strong offensive output from Wiedenfeld (2-2-4), Holland (three goals), John Derhak, Yennaco, and Dillon McKay (one goal each), and Eric Coburn and Peter Navarro (one assist each).
The score was knotted up at 3-3 after one period, but Andover led by a 7-5 tally at halftime. And the teams were equal where scoring was concerned in the third quarter (1-1) and the fourth (2-2) as the visitors nabbed the win.