BEL AIR — As the final seconds ticked away in Friday’s Class 1A state semifinal, a dream was about to turn into reality for the Panthers of Perryville.
Perryville used a stout defensive effort in the second half of its matchup with No. 2 seed The Academy for College and Career Exploration (ACCE) to pick up a 12-5 victory over the Eagles. The Panthers limited ACCE to just one goal in the final 24 minutes of play, which came in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter and the Panthers holding a six-goal lead.
Perryville goalie Dan Hickling used four third quarter saves to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard.
“He is a wall,” Perryville Head Coach Doug Savick said of Hickling. “He just kept us in this game.”
After getting off to a slow start in its state quarterfinals win over Pikesville, the Panthers kicked things off with a six-goal first quarter. Victories of the draw by Finn Tome and Grayson Ittner allowed Perryville to generate early scoring chances.
Vinnie Muscella, Zack Clarke, Nick Howes and Luke Roberts each scored in the first quarter for the Panthers.
“We were just trying to get our guys going. The most important thing is getting the ball and holding possession,” Tome said. “I felt me and Grayson did everything we could to get the ball for our team.”
Midfielder Evan Beynon credited Perryville’s play in the face-off circle for kickstarting things on offense and defense for the Panthers.
“Even if we didn’t score right off the face-off we’d just get in under control and right to the offense” Beynon said. “They had a fast offense, they got it and they went. That worked for us to control it.”
The Eagles rallied back with two goals in the second quarter and cut the Panthers’ lead to two off goals from Antoine Robinson and Elyo Lang. A goal by Muscella with four seconds remaining in the half gave Perryville a three-goal advantage at the break.
Savick said he got on his players in the second quarter and entering halftime about being the aggressor on the field.
“At halftime we said ‘we’re playing there game and not letting them play are game,’” Savick said. “And that’s kind of when we took charge there.”
The win moves the Panthers into a state championship matchup with No. 4 Fallston at Stevenson University from May 23 — May 25. The Cougars knocked off top seed Smithsburg in an 11-3 victory.
Savick said he is ready to represent Cecil County as the Panthers heads into the battle with their big cat counterpart.
“The fact that we are putting Cecil on the map as far as lacrosse goes is amazing because Harford County and Baltimore County has always been the places you went for lacrosse,” Savick said. “We just want to go in and say Cecil’s here to play.”
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