Cape boys' lacrosse plays well at Severn School, losing 11-4
The Cape boys' lacrosse team traveled across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge April 3 for its second straight insertion into the toughest league in the nation, the MIAA "A” Division of Baltimore.
The Vikings lost 11-4 to the Admirals of Severn after losing March 28 to Saint Paul’s School for Boys 20-6. The collective Cape coaching approach: You can stay home and hunt for Easter eggs over spring break or go looking for trouble inside the Baltimore private school network. One road will make you a better player.
‘You never like to lose or look for consolation prizes, but we played pretty well except for a few lapses,” said Cape head coach Jack Lingo. “All our injuries hurt as a little as well.“
Cape is playing without goalie Grant Gillan (broken collarbone), midfielder Matt Kane (bruised kidney) and Sean Grogan (ACL injury).
The Admirals jumped Cape early in the first period, outscoring Cape 5-2. Defenders blanketed the Vikings' leading scorer Luke Benson “on his hands” the entire game, jamming him up and making shooting difficult.
“They know who we are and had scouted out our players," said assistant coach Mark D'Ambrogi. "You play a major program, they are not leaving anything to chance.“
Cape battled Severn in the second period and trailed 7-3 at halftime on goals by Blake Mann, Benson and Todd Keen. Tony Iammatteo played well in goal, recording seven saves while facing 23 shots on the game, with most of the goals coming off assists to wide-open cutters cruising past the crease.
The Admirals outscored Cape 4-1 in the second half for the final 11-4 victory.
Cape will travel to Archmere Saturday, April 6, for a 1:30 p.m. matchup against the Auks. Archmere beat Cape last season 6-4 en route to a 13-2 season, eventually losing to Caesar Rodney in the third round of the state tournament.
Severn coach Brian Wood, a former Johns Hopkins All-American, said after the game, “We’re getting ready to go into our league schedule beginning April 12 where we will face Boys Latin, Gilman, McDonogh, St. Paul's, Loyola, Calvert Hall and St. Mary’s all in a row. Welcome to my world."
Teams that want to excel in boys' lacrosse better get ready to step out and step in up.
Notes: Coach Brian Wood of The Severn School is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, where he was a four time All-American attackman, including three first-team selections. He won three national championships with the Blue Jays and a world title with Team USA in 1986. Wood was selected to the All-World Team that same year. He was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2007.
An in-depth interview with Wood can be found at 24seven.laxallstars.com/24-seven-lax-interview-johns-hopkins-legend-brian-wood/.
