PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Down the stretch, Aaron Bush was in the right place at the right time for the Hoosac Valley boys lacrosse team on Thursday.
That meant being in the perfect spot to play a rebound for the game-winning goal and being on the faceoff x to help the Hurricanes dominate possession in the closing minutes of a 14-12 win in a battle of unbeatens against Lenox at BCC’s Gene Dellea Field.
It was a back-and-forth game all afternoon, and it was tied at 10-10 after Lenox’s Frederick Eustis scored with 6 minutes, 7 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
But a minute and a half later, Hoosac Valley’s Luke Waterman took a shot from the edge of the crease that rang off the crossbar and popped up into traffic in front of Lenox keeper Jeffrey Larmon.
Bush caught the rebound and fired a shot past the scrambling Larmon to put Hoosac Valley up, 11-10, and ignite a four-goal run that made it a 14-10 game with less than two minutes to play.
“I think I was just in the right place, right time,” Bush said. “We were moving the ball pretty good. Lukie took a good shot. Unlucky.
“I was ready for anything, I try to be, at least. I was just there at the right time.”
The winning goal sequence started with a faceoff win by Bush to get the Hurricanes possession after the Eustis goal.
Carson Meczywor (five goals) made a big play on a ground ball in traffic to keep the possession alive and passed to Waterman for the open look that went off the crossbar.
Bush then won the ensuing faceoff, and Waterman scored his fourth goal to make it a two-goal margin.
Another win at the x, and another goal, this time from Neil Brierley, to make it 13-10. After Hoosac Valley controlled the next faceoff, Meczywor scored with an assist from Waterman to make it a four-goal game with 1:48 on the clock.
Eustice scored two more of his four goals in the closing moments, but time ran out on the comeback hopes for the Millionaires (6-1).
By Lenox’s count, the Hurricanes had a 16-6 advantage in faceoffs in the game, an advantage that was particularly glaring in the closing moments.
“At half, we were telling the guys: They’ve got to be hungry for the ball,” Hoosac Valley coach Jacob Anderson-Hall said. “Their faceoff guy is probably one of the better faceoff guys we’ll see all season. He’s a tough matchup for us.
“But, like I said, be hungry, and the ball will come your way.”
Hoosac Valley got four goals and two assists from Waterman. Brierly finished with two goals and three assists. Zack Lillie scored twice, and Cam Taylor had a goal.
Matt Tassone and Will Broadwell split time in Hoosac Valley’s goal, combining for 11 saves.
Eddie Boyko, Donny Bowler and Eustis each scored four for Lenox.
Millionaires coach Brett Larmon knew his team would face a challenge against a more experienced Hoosac Valley team, and he was not disappointed.
And he was not disappointed with how the Lenox team responded.
“We played our hearts out,” Larmon said. “That’s a team of juniors and seniors. My leading scorer is an eighth-grader. My goalie is an eighth-grader. We have one senior and two juniors.
“That’s a heck of a team and a well coached team, and I look forward to facing them again.”
Lenox’s next opponent is St. Mary’s of Westfield on Monday. Hoosac Valley plays St. Mary’s first on Friday afternoon.
The rematch between the Hurricanes and Millionaires comes on May 23 in Cheshire.
