On Tuesday, March 24, the Bel Air Boys’ Lacrosse team hosted private school powerhouse, the Archbishop Spalding Cavaliers in the first game of a much anticipated season.

After a very wet and prolonged preseason, the Lacrosse team was ready to get on the field and avenge their 9-8 defeat to the Cavaliers the previous year. The game started out in Bel Air’s favor with the face off team winning the first couple of face offs, allowing the Bobcats to be able to keep possession.

Senior Captain Brad Casale opened up the scoring with a shot right in the top corner, giving the Bobcats the 1-0 lead. After a few minutes of scoreless back and forth action, Spalding scored a goal of their own tying the game. The Cavaliers then won the ensuing face off and scored another goal boosting their confidence and placing fear in the hearts of Bobcat fans.

Spalding kept up the attack after winning another face off, and Senior Gavin Hanley made a couple of great saves. The Bobcat defense held the attack at bay, allowing Bel Air to mount an attack of their own. Senior Garrett Utz then tied the game up off a shot from the corner, and Tom Pffiefer scored minutes after on the Bobcat man up. The first quarter ended with Bel Air holding a tight 4-3 lead.

The second quarter was as even as the first with each team scoring goals of their own, including Casale who added two more to complete the hat trick as Bel Air kept the lead throughout the quarter. The half ended with Bel Air holding a 6-4 lead over the Cavaliers.

Utz commented on the first half, “A big part was Brad putting up numbers for us when we couldn’t find an easy shot. The defense held strong, allowing us on offense to play our game.”

Sampayo then took over on the mid field line in the second half, only losing one face off the entire 24 minutes.  Casale, Pfeiffer, and Hunter Jewitt each scored respectively in the 3^rd quarter, keeping the Bobcats a goal ahead of the come-back minded Cavaliers.

The beginning of the 4^th was all Spalding however, as they relentlessly peppered Hanley with shots. A couple got through and Spalding knotted the score at 7 apiece. With the agonizing 1 goal loss still in their minds from last year, the Bobcats went on the attack again with Pfeiffer scoring again and Utz closing the game out with a last minute goal.

“It was a great way to start off the season beating an MIAA division team,” Casale said after the game. “We still have a lot of work to do to reach our goal but I know with the talent we have this year we can do it.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing how we progress as a unit and making a big run in the play offs, but that’s a long way away and we need to focus on the next game,” stated Utz.

Bel air advances to 1-0 on the season and will host Archbishop Curley on Friday, March 27, at 6:45 pm.