After a strong preseason that helped the team prepare for the regular season, the boys’ lacrosse team began their regular season on March 30 with a 10-8 victory against Delaware Valley. Sophomore Jack Warren and junior Curt Gouldin each scored three goals for Bernards, and junior Mike Parisi added two goals in the winning effort.
Junior JP Heppes had a strong game in goal, making many key saves in the early stages of the game. Seniors Owen Miller and Dan Schindler were strong in defense, limiting the amount of chances Delaware Valley put on Heppes’ goal.
On April 4, the team played their second home game of the season against Rutgers Prep and picked up their second victory at Olcott Field with a tough 8-5 win. The game was played in very cold, rainy conditions, but the weather didn’t have that big of an impact on the game.
Warren scored four goals in the winning effort, and senior faceoff specialist Tyler Hugo won ten out of 16 faceoffs. Kenny added his first hat-trick of the season, and the defense put in another very strong performance.
After an 8-5 away loss to Scotch Plains on April 9, the team traveled to Morristown to face Morristown-Beard for another tough away game on April 11. Although Morristown-Beard managed to maintain a one-goal lead for a good part of the first three quarters, Bernards managed to tie the game at eight in the fourth quarter, eventually taking the lead with eight minutes left in the quarter.
Parisi scored a late goal that gave Bernards a lead that they never looked back from, winning the game 12-9. Led by Heppes’ 17 saves, the defense was particularly strong in the winning effort, consistently frustrating Morristown-Beard’s attackers.
The next day, the team played a home game against New Providence, the same team that knocked Bernards out of last season’s state tournament. They successfully got their revenge for that defeat in the form of an 8-4 victory. Warren scored four goals in the winning effort, Parisi added two goals, and Kenny and Tantleff each scored once.
Two days later, Bernards played their third game in four days against Cranford. The game was exciting and intense, and it was decided by a Curt Gouldin goal with four seconds left.
Gouldin’s goal gave Bernards a 7-6 victory, their fifth win of the season and their third straight victory.
At print, the team played a home game on April 18 against North Hunterdon and two away games against Millburn and Kinnelon on April 20 and 21.
After those games, the team will play against West Morris on April 25 at West Morris, and they will return home for a game against St. Peter’s Prep on April 27.
Through their first six games, the team had a 5-1 record, a strong start that the team hopes to build on.
