Blue Streaks outlast Mounts
- 28 April 2010
Kevin Pletz and Rich Lefever both saw the game as a test.Pletz's Ephrata boys' lacrosse team would have its confidence tested Tuesday, while Lefever's Manheim Township squad would have its character challenged.
The Mountaineers had a passing grade with a 4-3 halftime lead, but it was the Blue Streaks that aced the exam with five unanswered goals in the second half to knock off upset-minded Ephrata, 8-4, in a battle between the No. 1 teams in Sections One and Two.
"It's a character test. Especially for later on in the season when every game is going to be a one-goal game," Lefever explained. "They needed that adversity to see how they will respond."
"We're gaining a lot of confidence," Pletz said. "We're on the upward slope of peaking. I don't think we've played our best game yet."
Township (10-0 L-L League, 12-1 overall) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before the Mounts (5-4, 9-4) rallied with three-straight scores.
Quint Miller and Kevin Estabrook scored consecutive goals for MT before Blaine Yates, Tucker Keefer and Nate Muckle answered with a trio of goals to give Ephrata a 3-2 first-quarter lead.
"I was extremely pleased," Pletz said. "We've had a tendency this year, that when we're down early that the wind comes out of our sails. To see them come back from that was good."
Mark Stratton tied the game at 4-4 with a goal midway through the second, before Tyler Ulrich regained the lead for Ephrata with 35 seconds left before halftime.
"First half seemed off. It didn't seem like there was a rhythm on either side," said Lefever. "I thought with the way the game was officiated that it didn't allow either team to really get into sync."
The Streaks pulled ahead by one, 5-4, behind third-quarter scores by Rob Wertz and Stratton.
A controversial no-call began the fourth quarter when a Weber shot bounced out of the goal, after hitting the net. Ephrata cleared the ball, had a fast break and Ulrich's shot ricocheted off under Township goalie Devon O'Grady's stick and stopped an inch in front of the goal plane.
"It was still a tight game at that point before Weber's (shot)," Lefever explained. "The official wasn't in the proper position to see it, ball changes hands and goes down the field quickly. It was a tough transition on the defense and Devon makes a great save."
Miller, Stratton and Estabrook netted three unanswered shots in the fourth quarter to ice the game for Township.
"We were getting flustered with their zone defense. They were packing it in so tight," Miller said of Ephrata. "Then in the second half, we got more patience, waiting for our look, and just capitalized."
Township also capitalized on face-offs in the second half. After losing that battle, 7-2, in the first, the Streaks won all six face-offs in the second.
"It's important," said Weber, who splits face-off duties with Chase Miller. "It's a free possession and we get the ball which gives us more chances to score."
Ephrata had chances to score on four extra-man opportunities but Township's defense held firm on all EMO's and kept the game from being closer.
"Credit to Manheim Township. They played really well on man-down," Pletz said. "We had opportunities on two of the four, and we didn't hit the open guy with passes. We definitely wanted to get at least two of them."
Tuesday's game marked the beginning of test taking for both teams.
Township, which holds a one-game lead over Hempfield in Section One, will face the Black Knights next Wednesday.
Ephrata, which holds one-game leads over Conestoga Valley and Elizabethtown in Section Two, will battle the Buckskins next Tuesday followed by the Bears on Friday.
We here at www.ephratamounts.com are proud sponsors of the Dodgeball for Diabetes tournament.