WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall Prep lacrosse team went 1-1 last week to improve their record to 3-1 on the season. On Tuesday, April 5, the Pirates traveled to Chatham and defeated the Cougars 20-3. In the third quarter, the Pirates outscored Chatham 10-0. Senior Matt Wrede led the scoring with three goals and five assists, while sophomore Christian Schweiger scored three goals and two assists; senior James Bailey also scored three goals. Senior Will Giarrusso was great at the faceoff X, winning 16 of 19 faceoffs, while sophomore Luigi Pantano won 5 of 7 faceoffs. Also scoring were Giarrusso, senior JP Meyo and junior Matthew Pepe, with two goals each. Seniors Quinn Spillett, Billy Black and Max Racich and juniors Elijah Rippey and Charles Falk each scored one goal. Senior goalie John “Jaz” Zanelli had five saves and allowed three goals.
Following the game, Wrede said, “We came out a little slow in the first half, but in the second half we played smart and dominated the middle of the field, which was our main goal today. Our defense really locked down Chatham in the second half. We played to our full potential in that second half.”
Giarrusso added, “We started out slow but made a few adjustments at halftime, and we wanted to come out hot in the third quarter, which we did. We had very good balance today. Anyone can score on any given day.”
Schweiger said, “Our offense was really firing, especially in the third quarter today. We have a lot of depth on our team, and everyone can score.”
Third-year head coach Ross Turco said after the game, “We had a lot of balance today. We showed a lot of composure and guys picking up loose balls. This was a collective effort. These guys have a great energy and they bring it every single game, while supporting each other. At halftime we just had to refocus and finish off the game, which we did in that third quarter.”
SHP lost at Summit, 8-3, on Friday, April 8.
Photos Courtesy of Rich Morris/SHP