Penncrest rebuilding quickly
It certainly lacked the gravitas of Bobby Orr's diving goal in the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals, but Drew Hanna's sprawled-out, all-out lacrosse goal was a thing of beauty.
It certainly lacked the gravitas of Bobby Orr's diving goal in the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals, but Drew Hanna's sprawled-out, all-out lacrosse goal was a thing of beauty.
Well, to everyone except the 6-foot, 150-pound Penncrest senior.
"I just jumped and belly flopped right in," Hanna said Monday after Penncrest beat host Lower Merion, 15-6. " It was really ugly. Everyone was telling me it was really pretty, but I know deep down it was a very ugly goal. Who wants to see me belly flop on the lacrosse field? Save that for the swimming pool."
The third-quarter tally was assisted by Hofstra-bound Ryan Kinnard (three goals), who whipped the ball to a cutting Hanna. He caught, dove and fired all in one motion.
Typically, Hanna, who is a point guard on the basketball team, is the one making the passes (he also played soccer).
And as the Lions lacrosse squad looks to defend last season's PIAA title - the school's first in any sport - Hanna's passing ability could play a big role.
"I'm a pass-first kind of guy," said Hanna, who finished with three goals and five assists on Monday. "I just have a pass-first mentality when it comes to basketball and it really shows and translates well on the lacrosse field."
The victory Monday against Central League foe Lower Merion (3-5) was the third straight for Penncrest (7-2), a team that lost several seniors to graduation.
"We knew it was going to be a rebuilding year, because we lost 18 quality seniors," Hanna said. "So we didn't know how good we would be."
Last year was his first playoff action because Hanna ruptured his spleen in a game near the end of sophomore year. With defenseman Ryan Granger (Marquette) and attacker Alex Bonnett (Hartford), Hanna hopes his last playoff run will be special.
"We had a bunch of starters that were underclassmen last year," he said. "That's what people don't realize. Our team won the championship. It wasn't just those seniors...It takes a lot and we'll have to come together, but it's definitely possible and I'm starting to believe it more and more."
Central's first season. Steve Innamarato knew what it was like to yearn for high school lacrosse.
However, the social studies teacher at Central couldn't fit coaching into his busy schedule when he was approached about starting a program six years ago.
Innamarato grew up in Oxford Circle and went to the now-closed Cardinal Dougherty, which didn't have lacrosse in the 1980s.
So, when his scheduled loosened and Central seniors asked again, Innamarato couldn't refuse.
"When the seniors came to me last year, the look in their eyes," he said. "They wanted to be wearing a Central uniform."
David Reineke and Alex Bour, now both senior captains, approached Innamarato (with others). As juniors, they played for Del-Val Charter as part of a Public League co-op team.
"We have a lot of pride being from Central and we just wanted something we could call our own even if it is just for our senior year," Reineke said.
Bour said he emailed the school district and requested a varsity schedule instead of the JV schedule typically given to new programs.
Innamarato said the Philadelphia Lacrosse Association donated used equipment and the school district provided other supplies. Central doesn't have a home field yet, and practices at Cherashore Park (10th Street and Olney Avenue).
The Lancers are currently 3-3 in league play and beat Audenried, 11-1, Monday.
"I think we'll be able to do a lot of damage this year," Bour said. "And in the future, I plan on coming back and helping with the team because I'm really excited that we have a team from Central now."
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