HOPEWELL TWP. — Even with its postgraduates disqualified from playing in the Mercer County Tournament, Hun boys lacrosse remains the team to beat.
The top-seeded Raiders showed that Tuesday night by breezing past fifth-seeded Princeton High, 13-3, in the second semifinal game held at Hopewell Valley’s Ackerson Field.
Junior Dan Cano notched four goals, while junior Dillon Bucchere, junior Will Beck, sophomore Brett Stelmach and junior Brendan Marino scored two apiece. Sophomore Graham Bricker had the other goal to round out a supremely balanced attack.
“Our short sticks did a great job,” coach Jim Stagnitta said. “We were able to respond to what they were doing to us. They tried to take Bucchere and Cano out of the game, and we were able to set some picks and take advantage of some early offense.”
Hun (11-4) quickly took a 3-0 lead and steadily pulled away. Perhaps most impressive was how the Raiders were able to shut down an explosive Princeton offense that was averaging 13.5 goals per game — albeit against lesser competition.
Junior Patrick Kenah is one of the area’s best at the X position, but Hun was able to limit him to two goals. Junior Graham Baird had the other goal for Princeton (9-6).
“We just did a good job with the zone,” Stagnitta said. “Whenever (Kenah) came around the corner, we were able to step down with our wing guys. Luke Donahue did a great job. (Kenah) scored once where he was able to roll under, we didn’t take the body. But we have two good defenders there, and people tend to struggle with a zone. It’s not easy to play against, and we did a really good job of stepping down on him every time he took the corner.”
Hun has now won seven in a row and will try to carry this momentum into a second straight county championship when it faces sixth-seeded Allentown, which upset second-seeded PDS in the first semifinal, in Thursday’s title game back at Hopewell.
“It was a good effort all around,” Stagnitta said. “We’ve gotten better. We’re playing good lacrosse right now. We were playing really good lacrosse with the PGs, and these guys are really doing a nice job. We’ve come a long way.”
Princeton (9-6) 1 0 1 1 – 3
Hun (11-4) 3 4 5 1 – 13
Goals – Kenah 2, Baird (P), Cano 4, Bucchere 2, Beck 2, Stelmach 2, Marino 2, Bricker (H).
Assists – Beatty 3 (P).
Saves – Dobson 5 (P).
