BOYS LACROSSE: Catholic Central rallies back to down Lake Orion in state semifinals
BY DAN STICKRADT
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dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
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TROY — Ryan Birney took the right time to step into the limelight.
The senior scored the game-tying goal late in regulation and netted the game-winning tally during sudden-death overtime, in leading defending Division 1 state champion and second-ranked Novi Detroit Catholic Central to a thrilling, 14-13, victory over fourth-ranked Lake Orion in a wild state semifinals match at Troy Athens.
A game of frustrations turned into jubilation in the end
for Birney and the Shamrocks. Birney moved into the middle and fired his game-winner into the cage from 10 yards out. He previously had a shot clank off the goal post late in regulation.
“This is my first game getting locked off and I was really having trouble finding anything,” offered Birney. “I was trying to force it. Near four minutes left in the fourth quarter, they stopped blocking us off, me and (Joey Kamish). I was just telling myself, ‘in overtime, I’ve got to take my guy.’”
Birney knotted the game at 13-13 with 1:37 left in regulation off an assist from Kamish, then got loose for a laser shot only 40 seconds into overtime to send the Shamrocks (20-3-0) to the state finals for a ninth time since the MHSAA adopted the sport in 2005.
Birney’s blast also sends the Shamrocks into the finals for the sixth straight campaign.
Catholic Central, which ended Birmingham Brother Rice’s 13-year reign atop the Division 1 charts last season, will take on the top-ranked Warriors at 2 p.m. in the state finals Saturday at Howell Parker Middle School.
The run was possible thanks to CC’s second-half offensive explosion and Birney’s late-game heroics.
“He’s kind of a quiet kid, but he goes out there and scores the game-winner,” said Catholic Central coach Dave Wilson of Birney. “He’s a senior, he’s been through it. He’s the third brother to go through our program. These guys are used to big moments. I’m sure he’s had to fight for dinner at home a couple of times. You’ve got to gut through it and he did. He stepped up.”
CC is 1-7 all-time in state title games and lost to Brother Rice twice in the regular season.
“It shows that as a program we’re consistent,” said Wilson. “We’ve been here several times before and our seniors have been here all four years. We’ll have another shot at (Brother Rice).
“Hats off to Lake Orion, though. They came out with a game-plan and kind of slowed us down and we like to play fast,” continued Wilson. “They gave us everything we could handle. We found a way to win it in the end.”
Lake Orion opened the game — which had two separate weather delays lasting over a combined hour — with a 4-0 run and held a 7-3 advantage at the half.
Catholic Central rallied back with a 7-1 surge in the third quarter to take a 10-8 lead entering the final frame.
The Shamrocks led 11-8 in the fourth quarter, only to see Lake Orion go on a 4-0 run to grab a 12-11 advantage.
Catholic Central, which had a goal called back with 3:49 to go due to an illegal stick usage, eventually tied the game at 12-12 on a tally from Connor Beals with 3:17 to go.
Lake Orion (19-3-0) grabbed its final lead at 13-12 on senior Sam Parillo’s goal, only to see CC find the magic stick to tie the game and score the game-winner in the extra session.
The Dragons never won a regional title until this season and reached the Final Four for the first time. Lake Orion nearly pulled the upset of the postseason.
“When we get fired up as a team, we can play well,” said Lake Orion coach Ron Hebert, whose program will lose 11 players to graduation. “A few years ago they were happy with just winning the OAA (Red Division league title). This year they wanted to get to the Final Four and they did so. We nearly pulled it off.”
Lake Orion senior goaltender Jack MacLeod was sterling between the pipes with numerous point-blank saves, including a save with two seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.
Seniors Nicolo Ruffini and Parillo both notched hat tricks for Lake Orion. Kyle Loken added two goals for the Dragons, who had eight different goal scorers in the game.
Ryan Sullivan scored five total goals with two assists — and the senior converted four goals and two assists during the 7-1 third-quarter run. The Shamrocks also had eight players score goals, with Kamish and Patrick Lee adding a pair of goals apiece.
“I knew that somebody needed to step up,” smiled Sullivan. “Throughout the season, our go-to guys who showed up at the end of the game, Birney and Joey Kamish, they had trouble getting into space, so I knew it was my time to step up.”
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