Lenape lacrosse falls to North Jersey power Bridgewater-Raritan in state final
PENNINGTON, N.J. - In a larger sense, South Jersey boys' lacrosse is chasing North Jersey boys' lacrosse, which is several steps ahead.
PENNINGTON, N.J. - In a larger sense, South Jersey boys' lacrosse is chasing North Jersey boys' lacrosse, which is several steps ahead.
In the specific case of the Group 4 state final Thursday, that was the exact situation for South Jersey champion Lenape with regard to North Jersey champion Bridgewater-Raritan.
"That's the fastest team we've seen all year," Lenape senior midfielder Conor Gaffney said after Bridgewater-Raritan won its fifth state title with an impressive 16-8 victory. "They are fast at every position."
Said Lenape senior attack Anthony Brunetti: "They are fast, athletic, and they can all shoot."
Bridgewater-Raritan's speed, skill, and spacing were on display on a warm, humid afternoon at Hopewell Valley High School.
Brian Kolen scored five goals and Ethan Christianson added four for Bridgewater-Raritan (21-0), which is No. 2 in NJ.com's state rankings and projects as the likely No. 1 seed in the Tournament of Champions.
Gaffney was a major force on faceoffs and Matt Smith scored a pair of goals for Lenape (13-7), which was making its first appearance in a state final.
Lenape senior captains Brunetti and Connor Wolfe scored the game's first and final goals.
"Every guy out there gave 150 percent and that's all you can ask," Brunetti said. "I think we gave them a great run."
Moorestown is the only South Jersey boys' lacrosse team to have won a state title. The Quakers captured crowns in 2001, 2008, and 2011.
But the rest of the region is in catch-up mode when it comes to established North Jersey powers.
Shawnee's 15-5 loss to Ridgewood on Wednesday night and Lenape's setback on Thursday underlined the gap between South Jersey's top teams and the better squads from the northern part of the state.
"They were bigger, faster, and more prepared," Wolfe said. "They had the firepower and they used it. . . . Eventually, you are going to see a shift."
Lenape took a 1-0 lead on Brunetti's goal off Wolfe's feed.
But Bridgewater-Raritan took command with transition offense, as the Panthers' speed created several fastbreak opportunities.
Gaffney's strong work helped Lenape generate a 19-9 edge in faceoffs. But even with an edge in possession, the Indians often weren't able to convert, while the Panthers were able to spread the field and score quickly with tic-tac-toe passing and accurate shooting.
"Eventually, we want to be a team like that," Gaffney said. "We took a big step this year. We're hoping to become a team of that caliber."
Lenape became the fifth South Jersey team (Moorestown, Shawnee, Cherokee and St. Augustine are the others) to make the state finals.
The Indians might not have been able to keep pace with Bridgewater-Raritan, but they believe they will benefit from the experience.
"You learn it's a different game, you learn it's a different speed," Brunetti said. "At the same time, it's really, really fun to play in this kind of game.
"It makes you think 10 times faster."
Lenape 2 3 0 3 - 8
Bridgewater-Raritan 5 4 4 3 - 16
Goals: L-Matt Smith 2, Anthony Brunetti, Connor Wolfe, Tim Montgomery, Conor Gaffney, Scott Fayan, Liam Baker. BR-Brian Kolen 5, Ethan Christianson 4, Ethan Locker 2, Nick Attanario 2, Andrew Eckert, Richie Lenskold, Griffin Flagel.
Saves: L-Manny D'Alessio 9. BR-Luke Konen 5.
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