St. Thomas Aquinas dominant on way to state boys’ lacrosse championship
Desperately needing a spark after a lackluster state semifinal win over Plant, St. Thomas coach Terry Crowley said it would take a herculean effort to beat a hot Ponte Vedra team.
Boy, did his team give him one.
The Raiders put together a defensive masterclass against Ponte Vedra, holding the Sharks scoreless over the final 38-plus minutes to capture the program’s fourth state title, and first since 2022, in a 13-4 decision at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex.
“Wow,” Crowley said. “They were incredible today. We were hoping in the two-man game we’d get a step on them, but they came to play today. I think they were ready, and today, they stepped up.”
The two sides traded goals early on, with nine goals in the first 12 minutes. Ponte Vedra would lead in the contest 1-0 and 2-1 thanks to goals from Mason Hauseman and Matthias Schulz, but the Raiders responded with a 4-0 run from the 9:14 to the 6:39 mark with goals from Diego Salazar, James Finch, and Jack Lancelot.
The second quarter just the start of the offensive struggles for the Sharks, who needed some sort of a response after Aquinas goals with 7:19, 6:33, and 2:45 to play. Lancelot, Salazar, and Finch continued to have their way against Ponte Vedra goalkeeper Jackson Hume, taking an 8-4 lead at the break.
“We knew in our head, we had to get to 10 to 12 goals to beat them,” Crowley said. “That was the number we were thinking about the whole time, was 10 to 12. We broke it down in the early morning session to three goals per quarter. We didn’t know that we were gonna shut them out.”
From there, things turned downhill for Ponte Vedra and went on the upswing for the Raiders. Turnovers plagued the Sharks, along with not being able to crack the code of goalkeeper Zach Rosenberg, who finished with nine saves in the contest as the St. Thomas lead continued to swell in the third quarter with goals from Benjamin Kupstas, Kyan East, and Salazar.
Crowley credited longtime Maryland lacrosse coach Dave Cottle, who joined the Raiders staff as an assistant for the first time this season, as a key addition this season.
“He’s been amazing for us,” Crowley said. “That’s the big thing. Did we reach our goals on both the offensive and defensive ends? Yes. We knew we had to win the goalie matchup, we knew we had to win the face-off matchup, and defensively.”
Ponte Vedra failed to account for Salazar more often than not, as a result of the actions the Raiders ran successfully. The uncommitted junior is likely to be committed somewhere soon, especially after a 7-goal performance that saw him score St. Thomas’ first goal of the game, along with their final three in the second half.
“That was 100 percent one of our best games this season,” Salazar said. “We have a strong attack, strong midfield, and when we’re able to click and all play together, our chemistry is unmatched. It was beautiful, especially since last game wasn’t our best game. We still found a way to win.
“But to end the season like this with all of us playing what I think was our best game of the season, it’s great.”
Crowley dedicated Aquinas’ win to his wife Barb, who’s been in a lengthy battle with cancer. The longtime coach took a video of the crowd in attendance during the championship ceremony, soaking it all in.
Moments thereafter, he was soaked after Kupstas, Alex Michaelides, and Bryce Piscitello snuck away from the trophy presentation to find a bucket full of water.
“My wife’s been battling cancer,” an emotional Crowley said. “For me emotionally, it’s been tough. Yeah, it’s been rough. This one is for her.”