KIRKWOOD – During a lacrosse game last May, Vianney and Summit embarked on a back-and-forth scoring bonanza that filled the net with goals, the scoresheet with tick marks and the faces of attackmen with smiles.
Vianney goalie Ethan Ramsey was not amused.
“It was not a fun game.” Ramsey said. “I did not want another last year.”
Ramsey made 24 saves, including two beauties in the final two minutes, and Bennett Breheny and Shawn Soriano combined for nine goals as Vianney defeated Summit 11-9 in a boys lacrosse game Tuesday at Don Heeb Field at Vianney High.
Vianney (5-4) defeated Summit for the ninth time in the last 10 meetings. The last win for the Falcons in the series occurred on March 24, 2004.
In the goal-fest with Vianney last May, Summit attackman Sam Bellamy scored 11 goals, but the Falcons fell short in a wild 21-17 slugfest.
On Tuesday, the Griffins had a plan to slow down the talented junior, employing senior Benjamin Kohlberg to shadow his every move, especially in key moments.
“Bellamy is a handful so we thought we’d try to do something different and try to take him out of it,” Vianney coach Jeff Benton said.
Bellamy still scored five goals, often with a defender draped on him as he shot. He also set picks for his teammates. One pick allowed seniors Ryan Taff and Braden Warfel to connect on a fourth-quarter goal to trim the deficit to 11-9 with 9 minutes 51 seconds remaining.
“We put (Bellamy) on crease and let him pick down there, but it’s hard to do,” Summit coach Paul Lutz said. “He’s a major offensive player for us, and when they lock him off, someone else has to step up.”
Excellent defensive plays by Vianney sophomore Andrew Fendler and senior John Brunner caused Summit turnovers and set the stage for two face-to-face meetings between Bellamy and Ramsey over the final two minutes.
First, Bellamy raced downhill along the right side and launched a laser that Ramsey deflected over the net with his stick. With under a minute to play, Ramsey sacrificed his right thigh to deny a rocket from Bellamy and secure a Vianney victory.
“I knew coming into the game, they were going to shoot low, dodging through that right alley, so I kind of cheated a little bit and was able to stop it,” Ramsey said.
Ramsey made seven saves in both the first and second quarters and allowed time for his talented offense to get into a rhythm.
Twice in the first quarter Breheny and Soriano found each other cutting near the back post for slam dunks as Vianney grabbed a 3-2 lead.
“They weren’t pressuring hard, so by continually moving we were able to slip behind them, catch a quick break and score,” Breheny said.
Early in the second quarter, Soriano scored by corralling a rebound off a shot from Marko Mrnjavac, and Breheny followed with a top-shelf goal as Vianney opened a three-goal cushion.
But Summit altered its offensive approach and began to solve the Ramsey riddle. After settling for perimeter shots that became swallowed in Ramsey’s netting, the Falcons began to attack the goal and shoot at his feet.
Seniors Ryan Taff and Braden Warfel scored on similar bouncers to cut the deficit to 5-4, but just eight seconds later, Soriano answered to give the momentum back to Vianney.
“Counterpunch,” Soriano said. “We’re going to scrap until the end.”
In the third quarter, Breheny continued to execute cuts without the ball, depositing precision shots that snuck inches under the crossbar off assists from Soriano and senior Brian Flanagan.
“It’s not always about hard shots, sometimes it’s just placement,” Breheny said.
Meanwhile, Bellamy was also finding the scoring touch for Summit.
First, Bellamy dodged one defender and scored while staring face-to-face with another. Then, he deposited a shot under the crossbar in transition, and finally, he found the twine with 12.6 seconds remaining to slice the deficit to 11-8 heading into the final frame.
Summit (5-2) had its own star in net, sophomore Dylan Smerek, who made 19 saves. He denied four Vianney shots during a two-man disadvantage at the end of the third quarter and three more in a Griffins’ offensive flurry midway through the fourth, giving the Falcons a chance to pull even.
Summit possessed the ball for most of the final five minutes, but Ramsey and the Vianney defense ensured that a repeat of last year’s goal fest did not materialize.
“I worked with what my defense gave me. They blocked a lot of shots, so I have to give props to them,” Ramsey said.
It was the third time in the last four games that Vianney played in a game decided by two goals or less, including a tough 11-10 setback to SLUH on April 2.
“They really answered the bell. I’m proud of the way we bounced back,” Benton said.
Breheny added, “We’re on an uphill slope right now for sure.”
