Big Fourth Key Again for Rams Lax Over Wilton

The boys lacrosse teams from New Canaan and Wilton squared off two weeks ago in a regular season game in which the Rams scored four fourth quarter goals to salt away a 10-9 win. In Saturday's FCIAC quarterfinal match between the two teams, the Rams had another four-goal fourth quarter on their way to a 12-8 win, which puts them into the semifinal round next Tuesday. The Warriors are on hold until the state tournament gets underway.

The Warriors got on the board Saturday just 39 seconds after the opening draw when Jonathan Andrews scored. Joe Costigan got the Rams rolling a few minutes later. Costigan, whose shot is hard and accurate, buried one from the wing to tie the game at one all. Wilton took the lead for a second time when Joe Reardon and Michael Francia scored past Brian Karl. The two degrees of separation was as wide a lead as either team would have until the fourth quarter.

Trailing by two, Ollie Norton made a slick move around the cage and scored to make it 3-2. Sam Stanton followed with a Wayne Gretzky-like move—a subtle shoulder dip after a series of spins and fakes—to beat goalie Devyn Jeffereis. Stanton's goal tied the game at three to end the first quarter.

Wilton opened the second quarter with two successive goals by Matthew Kobyra and Michael Serpa. Trailing by two, the Rams got two of their own, from Joey Kahman, off a perfect feed from Todd Bratches, and less than one minute later Stanton again.

At this point, Wilton switched from a zone defense to a man-to-man. The Warriors broke the tie when Matthew Reyes-Guerra-Dunn poked in a rebound. Wilton had 6-5 lead at the break.

Stanton opened the third quarter with his third goal to tie the game at six, but the Warriors came back with two in a row from Serpa and Andrews to give them a two goal lead midway in the period.

That lead evaporated quickly when the Rams came up with two scores from Newton and then Costigan, both off perfect feeds from Britches. It was eight all after three periods, but when the fourth quarter began, the Rams started to control play.

Rams Coach Alex Whitten said he didn't get his team going by reminding them they'd come back to win over Wilton last time by scoring four goals in the final quarter. Instead, "I told them after three quarters that we were in better shape and it was about to payoff."

They had Wilton back on their heels and forced them into penalties. The Rams had fresh legs while the Warriors were struggling, appearing to be a half step behind the Rams.

Henry Eschricht finished a perfectly executed fast break with help from Norton. Cody Newton followed with two goals making it 11-8, and for the first time in the game, the Rams had stretched the lead to three.

Some outstanding saves by Jeffereis kept the Rams from piling on some cushion. Stanton scored his fourth goal with 37 seconds remaining for the 12-8 win.

Whitten had had his goalies split the game; Brian Karl (seven saves) in the first half and Tom Carey (five saves in the second). Warriors goalie Jeffereis had six saves.

The Rams play in the semifinal round Tuesday at 5 p.m. against St. Joseph, an upset winner over Staples, at Brien McMahon High School.