S. ABINGTON TWP. — Regardless of the sport, the rivalry between Scranton Prep and Abington Heights is fiercely intense.
This season, both teams are outstanding, with rosters filled with athletes who have grown up together battling since they started in club lacrosse. They know each other, and the competitive spirit they play with often results in exciting encounters.
On Friday evening, in a much-anticipated showdown for first place in the Wyoming Valley Conference, Scranton Prep’s Mackey Lynett fired a shot that reached the back of the cage for the game-winner in a thrilling 14-13 win over the host Comets at the Abington Heights Athletic Complex.
Scranton Prep improved 13-0 overall and 9-0 in the conference.
Abington Heights fell to 6-1 in the WVC and 10-3 overall.
“We talked about it in the huddle before. Tato (Braedon McPartland) was playing awesome, and he was scoring well, and he told me that he was going to go down the alley, and if I had it, I was going to take it, and if I didn’t, he was looking to me,” Lynett said of his deciding goal with 1:24 remaining in the game. “It felt awesome.”
This clash was filled with bone-jarring collisions, players’ speed and agility and relentless action.
Scranton Prep seized the early momentum, scoring the first four goals of the game. Abington Heights responded with quick attacks and went on a run of its own, building an 11-7 lead at the half.
Needing a rally, Scranton Prep, which scored 20 or more goals in three of its last four games, kept fighting. Braedon McPartland gave the Cavaliers a spark, and the defense, led by Henry Barrett and the goaltending of Packy James and James Stallman, slowed down the energized Abington Heights offense.
“You know it is a game of runs,” Barrett said. “Anything can happen at any time. We had to play more aggressively up top. We had to stop by the backside. We couldn’t lose our heads. We did that in the second quarter, and being able to bounce back from that was important.”
The teams were locked in a 12-12 tie when Braedon McPartland fired in his fifth goal of the game that gave the Cavaliers the lead.
Abington Heights evened it up when Rodman Azar, who had four goals, had a shot dribble in for a goal to make it 13-13.
As the clock ticked away, Braedon McPartland made a move toward the goal and passed it off to Lynett, who scored for the third time.
Abington Heights had one final possession, and Gavin Anders’ wrist shot while falling got stopped by James, who launched the ball toward midfield. When the horn sounded, the Cavaliers stormed the field and sprinted to their fans, who packed the bleachers.
“We lost our heads a little bit, but we came together as a family,” Lynett said. “This showed how much grit this team really has and how tight we are as a team.”
In addition to Braedon McPartland’s and Lynett’s combined eight goals, Jack Rully had three goals and two assists and Owen McPartland, Will McPartland and Will Kane each had a goal for the Cavaliers. Stallman (5) and James (11) had 16 saves.
“We jumped up quickly, 4-0, and then it was 11-7, and we didn’t really expect that after getting off to such a good start,” Braedon McPartland said. “We collected ourselves and came out firing in the second half. We kept our heads. In the first half, we kind of got rattled. We stayed calm, communicated better and just played well in the second half.”
Chris Bohn joined Azar with four goals to lead Abington Heights. Anders had two goals, Braghan Pallis, Logan Fedor and Mike Arcure each had a goal and Colton Naholnik had 13 saves.
SP goals: B. McPartland 5, Rully 3, Lynett 3, O. McPartland 1, W. McPartland 1, Kane 1; Assists: Rully 2, B. McPartland 2, O. McPartland 1, Lynett 1, W. McPartland 1; Saves: James 11, Stallman 5; AH goals: Bohn 4, Azar 4, Anders 2, Pallis 1, Fedor 1, Arcure 1; Assists: Pallis 2, Bohn 1, Anders 1, Fedor 1; Saves: Naholnik 13.
Delaware Valley 15, Tunkhannock 1: At Delaware Valley, Phillip Leslie scored five goals, and Adam Myers and Tyler Husejnovic each had three to lead the Warriors to a win in the WVC.