Trinity did not come out hot in the District 3 Class 2A boys’ lacrosse championships on May 26 at Landis Field in Harrisburg. Up against underdog Susquehannock of York County, the Shamrocks were sluggish and ball-sloppy in the first quarter. Down 3-1 after the first, which could have been much worse if not for the great goalie play of junior, J.R. Long, Trinity (17-2) got back to doing what Trinity does well to win lacrosse games – win face-offs in bunches with Division I prospect, junior Justin Bordner, and put the offensive load on senior attacker and team captain, Drew Godfrey. When Trinity needs a goal or spark, it is number 4’s team and he carries the ‘Rocks on his back.
Mission accomplished in the second quarter, as the ‘Rocks scored 7 unanswered goals, four from Godfrey, which buried the Warriors in a hole they did not have the offensive firepower to climb out of. And in the hot and steamy conditions at Speed Ebersole Stadium, Trinity’s lethargy – perhaps born out of overconfidence or the pressure of knowing they were the better team – was long gone by first half’s end as they led 11-4.
But Mother Nature interrupted Trinity’s march to its second district title in four years when a bounty of meandrous thunderstorms rumbled through the area, causing an hour-long delay near the end of the third quarter. While Trinity has several bona fide star powers in its lineup, arguably the unsung heroes of this team are the close defenders who keep things rather tidy in front of J.R. Long, who rarely misses a routine save, and often times stuffs a sure goal with a clutch save to turn momentum in the ‘Rocks’ favor.
The 15-6 victory propels Trinity into the state playoff bracket, where stalwart programs lurk. But when you win 90 percent of your face-offs, have a goalie with a save percentage above 60 percent and an attacker with more than 60 goals, that is a formidable hurdle for any team to match-up against. This is a solid team that beat Hershey twice this season, and easily so in the district semifinal. Trinity’s only Achilles this 2021 season was Cumberland Valley, whose depth chart just wore down the ‘Rocks in both contests, including the Mid-Penn Conference championship.
“We came out and played our hearts out,” FOGO (Face Off Get Off) Justin Bordner said after the game. “I couldn’t be more proud of this team.”
(Photos by Chris Heisey, The Catholic Witness.)
By Chris Heisey, The Catholic Witness
