KIRKWOOD – As a team motto this season, the Eureka boys lacrosse team chose, ‘It’s Good to Be Here.’
It serves as a reminder to play with joy and enjoy the moments shared with teammates.
Those words adorn the back of purple T-shirts worn underneath players’ jerseys – T-shirts that became plastered to their skin as they played Vianney in a torrential downpour Thursday.
“It was still good to be to here, even though it was a little hard at times,” senior Matt Robb said.
Robb scored three goals and senior Drew Stubblefield made 13 saves as Eureka defeated Vianney 9-6 in monsoon-like conditions Thursday at Vianney High.
Eureka (8-3), which snapped a two-game losing streak to the Griffins, is off to its best 11-game start since opening the season 10-1 in 2018.
Vianney (2-5) received a heroic 28-save performance from senior goalie Ethan Ramsey, who stared through the pelting rain to produce a career-best performance.
“It was awful,” Ramsey said of the weather conditions. “I have this thing where I hate my shirt sticking to me, and it was stuck to me. Awful, awful, awful.”
It was awfully hard for Eureka to solve Ramsey, who delivered 12 saves and allowed just one goal through the first 18 minutes of action. A brilliant defensive effort by Vianney junior Andrew Fendler on second-leading scorer Nate Bridges helped tame the high-scoring Wildcats.
With Vianney leading 2-1 midway through the second quarter, Eureka changed its method of attack. Junior Parker Begley spiked a shot that bounced over the right shoulder of Ramsey to tie the score. Less than a minute later, Robb bounced a shot under the crossbar to give the Wildcats their first lead.
“We like to change planes, and when you bounce it, it changes planes twice which makes it really hard to track as a goalie.” Robb said.
The increased intensity of rain was the backdrop for a deluge of Eureka offense late in the half.
Sophomore Ian Ritchie lifted a contested ground ball, avoided a triple-team of ill-intentioned Griffins and delivered a strike to a cutting Jackson Emerson, leading to a Logan Schepis goal.
Robb executed a slick spin move to earn his hat trick. Two goals by sophomore Brogan O’Rourke, including one with 3.2 seconds remaining, gave the Wildcats their fourth goal in the final 3:32 of the half and a 7-4 lead at intermission.
“Their goalie was really good, but the big thing for us was to get the offense in motion, dodge downhill and if it’s not there, pass it around to your buddies to finish it up,” Robb said.
The next major adjustment was made by Ramsey, who denied 16 of 18 Eureka shots in the second half. Twice, he made a flurry of five consecutive saves in rapid succession as the Wildcats’ peppered him with shots from every angle.
“In those stretches where it’s save after save, you just have to keep your composure,” Ramsey said. “Just like Dory, ‘Keep on Swimming,’ just keep on saving.’”
Both teams were practically swimming by the time the fourth quarter arrived, and Stubblefield focused his vision through the downpour to preserve victory for Eureka.
He opened the final frame with four outstanding saves in the first two minutes, including a quick snag in his net off a drive from junior Jackson Masson and a close-range denial off a shot from junior Charlie Young, who scored four of the six Vianney goals.
“Our defense played a good game. They gave me shots I could save,” Stubblefield said.
Stubblefield made his mark on offense as well. After securing a save in his catching net, he sauntered down the field, and when no Vianney player approached him, he took off, racing 45 yards before delivering a pass that led to an Emerson goal.
“If I’m wide open in the middle of the field, I’m kind of fast. If they’re not going to play me, I’m going to take it up myself,” said Stubblefield, who ranks among the top four goalies in the area in total saves and save percentage.
His encore came in the final minute when he made two excellent stops during a man-down situation. In all, seven of Stubblefield’s 13 saves occurred during the fourth quarter as the Wildcats limited a surging Vianney offense to one goal.
“Both goalies played phenomenal,” Vianney coach Jeff Benton said.
Vianney had lost four consecutive games before defeating Summit 12-11 in overtime Tuesday. The improved Griffins have greatly reduced their unforced turnovers and have become an increasingly difficult team to play against.
“I was pleased with the way the boys competed. We took a lot of steps forward. It’s a building block for us,” Benton said.
The Griffins close out their productive week Friday at Wentzville, as head coaching brothers Jeff Benton (Vianney) and Chris Benton (Wentzville) battle in what they affectionately call the “Benton Bowl.”
Eureka travels to the Kansas City area for a pair of games before embarking on its toughest 7-day stretch of the schedule, with games against MICDS (April 23), SLUH (April 25) and De Smet (April 29).
But regardless of game results, weather conditions or travel hiccups, the Wildcats have the mindset to always enjoy the ride.
“No matter what happens, it’s good to be here with our teammates,” Robb said.
