PENNY HILL – Mount Pleasant outscored St. Elizabeth, 2-1, in the first quarter of the teams’ boys lacrosse matchup on April 12, and that was the difference as the Green Knights went on to a 7-6 win.
The Vikings struck first, as Cameron Tjaden emerged from behind the Green Knights’ net, took a pass, turned and beat keeper Michael Rodriguez low. The goal came after a long St. Elizabeth possession and was about eight minutes into the first.
Paul Thompson got Mount on the board shortly thereafter, carrying the ball about 25 yards, circling the net and beating the Vikings’ keeper from a sharp angle. Just before the end of the quarter, Ivan Sidoriak – all alone in front of the net – took a long pass from Zachary Wallen, spun around and sent the ball top shelf.
Two early shots were off-target for St. Elizabeth early in the second quarter, and the Green Knights made them pay. A penalty in the second minute of the quarter put the hosts in a man-up situation, and Thompson struck again, this time from long distance over the shoulder of a screened GK to make it 3-1. Before the half ended, Brian Millard scored on a rebound of a blocked shot taken by Ryan Woodham. The goal looked more like a hockey shot as Millard swatted at the ball on the ground and sent in bouncing off the natural surface and into the net.
Tjaden nearly tied the game a few minutes into the third quarter, but Rodriguez beat him with a kick save. But Tjaden found Noah Marchiafava a minute later with a pass from behind the net, and Marchiafava scored low from 15 yards out to knot the score at 3.
Sidoriak would score three of the Green Knights’ final four goals as they improved to 2-2 on the season. They are back in action Saturday at 11 a.m. when they host William Penn.
St. Elizabeth (0-3) can’t dwell on the loss for long. The Vikings travel to Midway Softball Complex on Friday for a 3:30 p.m. tilt with McKean.
