Things didn’t quite go the Hornets way in a late regular season loss against fellow Division 4 state power Weston.
But head coach Wesley Chittick’s group got the last laugh, exacting revenge on that same non-conference foe with a thrilling 8-7 road victory in Sunday evening’s Elite Eight tournament tilt.
It took a complete team performance on both sides of the ball to get the job done, and that’s exactly what Chittick expected.
“They came back on us in the fourth quarter during the regular season and beat us, but we felt like we could play with a talented team like that,” said Chittick, his team now 17-4 and headed to the program’s first ever state semi-finals to take on No. 3 Norwell later this week (time, date and location TBA).
“We knew we had to play a solid four quarters of defensive and offensive lacrosse and we did a much better job of that this game.”
The Hornets raced out to a quick 2-0 start only to watch as Weston roared back to take a 5-3 edge at halftime. But a big third quarter that included four unanswered goals allowed Manchester to regain control, and it was able to hold on down the stretch for the thrilling victory.
Charlie Thurlow, Jack McCavanagh and Luke Renzi led the offense with two goals apiece, while Walker Valeo and Carson Croft each added one individual tally.
Defensively, the Hornets truly locked it down, limiting a high powered Weston offense to its second fewest goals all season. All four D-poles — Hayden Spencer, Atticus Smith, Jarrett Croft and Conrad Garfield — were once again fantastic, as was back-up goalie Aaron Crompton.
Crompton had filled in for starter Connor Dickson during the regular season and came through with some huge performances. After Dickson injured his thumb again in a Sweet 16 overtime win against Pentucket, Crompton was thrust back into action for Sunday’s playoff tilt and came through with 13 big saves.
“Aaron was outstanding in net,” said Chittick. “The defense as a whole, to hold a talented team like Weston to only seven goals was just awesome.”
Now it’s on to Norwell, a team that went 12-6 during the regular season before getting past Dennis-Yarmouth, North Reading and Oakmont Regional with ease thus far in the playoffs.
“We’re excited; this is obviously a big win but we also understand that there’s still work to be done and a game to prepare for in a couple of days,” said Chittick. “I know Newburyport recently played Norwell and had a good win against them, but we certainly have to prepare and get ourselves in a position to play a good game because we know it’s not going to be easy.”
Sports Editor Nick Giannino may be contacted at 978-675-2712 or ngiannino@northofboston.com.