Dialog reporter
CLAYMONT – Appoquinimink’s boys lacrosse team built an early lead, watched as it turned into a deficit late in the third quarter, then rallied in the fourth to pull a 13-12 upset over third-ranked Archmere on Wednesday afternoon. The surprising Jaguars remained undefeated with the win, improving to 6-0 and snapping a four-game Auks win streak.
The teams were tied at 10 heading into the fourth quarter, but it didn’t take long for Appo to regain the lead. A minute into the quarter, Zach Bowen beat Archmere goalie Jake Mottola high from the right side. Appoquinimink went into a stall offense after that, methodically running time off the clock.
Archmere, however, took advantage of one of its possessions to knot the score at 11. A shot by Cole Bauer was rejected by Jaguars goalie Noah Given, but Given could not control the rebound. Robert Baxter swooped in, grabbed the loose ball and deposited it into the net with 6:46 remaining.
Campbell Garrison gave the lead back to the Jaguars with 5:10 to go, his third goal of the afternoon. This time, they would not lose the advantage, although it took a save by Given of a Ben Revak attempt to keep his team in front. Bowen scored his second of the quarter and fourth of the game off a pass from John Dunbar with two and a half minutes on the clock for an insurance goal. The Jaguars needed the insurance, as Baxter found the net for the fourth time. This time, in one motion he controlled a high rebound and bounced the ball underneath Given.
Archmere, coming off a win last weekend at Tower Hill, took a 2-1 lead in the first quarter when Revak scored while the Auks were up two men. Appo bounced back by netting the next five goals, opening up the day’s biggest lead at 6-2. Most of the Jaguars’ scoring was done in close, usually after a very patient approach. Two of the goals came from Cross Ferrara, the second of which was on a delayed penalty a minute and a half into the second quarter.
Down four, the Auks stormed back. Bauer ended the Appo scoring streak during a man-up situation, and Xavier Glavin tallied just 17 seconds later. Baxter finished the rush with a goal 16 seconds after Baxter’s, prompting Appoquinimink to call a timeout.
The Jaguars – playing outside Blue Hen Conference Flight A for the first time – built the lead to three once more early in the third at 9-6, but Archmere would fight back, briefly taking a 10-9 lead when Glavin and Revak scored within 14 seconds of each other. That was short-lived, however, as Garrison tied it from in close, setting up the dramatic final 12 minutes.
Revak, Bauer and Mitchell Moyer each had two goals for Archmere, which fired off 40 shots. Mottola had 12 saves in net for the Auks, who return to action Friday at 3:45 p.m. at home against Wilmington Christian.
For the Jaguars, who had 31 shots, Ferrara, like Bowen, finished with four goals. Given had 16 saves, many of which were from point-blank range. Appo looks to remain unbeaten on Saturday when it hosts Wilson West Lawn (Pa.) at 1 p.m.
