Entering the 3A/2A state championship game at Stevenson University of Tuesday night, the River Hill boys lacrosse team had won nine straight and was one of the hottest teams in the state.
Everything seemed to be coming together for a group of seniors that had taken its lumps in years prior.
Except the team the Hawks had to face in the title game – Kent Island – entered the game winners of 16 straight and 35 of 39, and were the defending state champions.
Despite five goals from senior attackman Jimmy McEneaney, the Buccaneers dominated the game in every aspect and overwhelmed River Hill, 20-7 to win their second straight title.
The margin of victory (13) and goals scored by Kent Island (20) are the most ever in any MPSSAA boys lacrosse championship game, breaking the previous records of 11 set by Dulaney in 1991, and 18 by Mt. Hebron in 2002, respecitvely. Still, the Hawks never gave up despite a running clock for parts of the fourth quarter.
"I thought our kids didn't quit. ... Things didn't go the way we wanted them to tonight. Obviously we're disappointed in the result, but we're not disappointed in our season," River Hill coach Keith Gonsouland said. "These guys have just literally bled for our program, and we are indebted to them. They have given a lot over the last four years."
River Hill (12-5), which was playing in its second state title game since 2010, was in the game early after McEneaney scored two straight to tie the game, 2-2.
But Kent Island went on to score four straight and 12 of the next 13 to put the game out of reach early in the second half.
"Give credit to them. They got to the ball. We won the first face-off (to start the second half), but we gave it back to them and then, boom. You dig yourself a hole, and they sense blood in the water. Those loose balls and those unsettled situations between the lines," Gonsouland said. "I thought we more than held our own with them in the 6-on-6 on offense. ... The key was (Buccaneers' face-off man Zach Goodrich). He kept giving them the ball. That's the key to lacrosse – make it, take it."
Goodrich won 15 of 23 draws through the first three quarters, and added five goals and three assists to finish with eight points, one-point shy of tying the record for most points in a 3A/2A title game. Bobby Giuffreda added five goals and two assists for Kent Island.
"I thought we did a great job both offensively and defensively in the middle of the field to set the tempo," Buccaneers coach Dave Jones said. "It really helps having a kid that go out there and win face-offs, so that was a large part of our momentum. We've done a good job this season ... especially in the postseason with coming out and playing really hard in the third quarter and really trying to put that game out of reach."
Jones added that after watching River Hill beat Middletown, 16-12, in a state semifinal game on Saturday, he was worried about McEneaney and junior Jake Friedman. The game plan surrounded shutting down Friedman and forcing the Hawks' offense to go through McEneaney.
"I was so impressed with River Hill throughout the playoffs. ... They kept on rolling in some close games there. I think that's really impressive as a team," Jones said.
After McEneaney tied the game with 3:41 left in the first quarter, it was all Buccaneers as Goodrich, who has committed to play at Towson in the fall, started to dominate the face-off circle. Giuffreda put Kent Island up 3-2 with 1:54 left, then Goodrich scored twice in the final 1:19 to make it a 5-2 Buccaneers lead after one quarter.
"They scored at the end of (the first) quarter, and that's a big swing in momentum," Gonsouland said.
Goodrich picked up where he left off in the second quarter by winning face-offs, and Kent Island started taking advantage of its possessions. Stone Boone scored early in the second quarter, but McEneaney answered with his third of the night to keep the Hawks in it at 6-3.
But Goodrich kept the ball in the Kent Island offensive zone, and Connor Flounlacker and Giuffreda tallied goals to put the Buccaneers up 8-3 at the break.
Things got even worse for River Hill in the second half as Kent Island scored the first six goals of the third quarter before McEneaney stopped the bleeding with his fourth of the night to make it 14-4.
"When we came out strong in the third quarter and we rattled off five goals straight, that was definitely a big turning point in the game," Goodrich said.
Kent Island scored six of the next nine goals to close out the game.
Despite the loss, McEneaney and his fellow group of seniors that had grown together after several losing seasons as freshman and sophomores are proud of what they accomplished wearing the River Hill jersey.
"The people I made the run with – these people are my brothers," McEneaney said. "Just growing up from freshman year to senior year, the way we matured is really amazing."
Though the nine-game winning-streak is over, the Hawks' ride was full of impressive wins, including an upset victory over Mt. Hebron in the 3A South region semifinals. Senior Zach Beard said his team "just turned it up" for the playoff run.
"We realized time was running out," he added. "I think we just valued our relationships with everyone. The chemistry was just there. Everyone liked being around each other. As soon as you walked in the locker room everyone was like joking around with each other, so I feel like that helped a lot. (I'll miss) being around everybody. Practicing every day, being there and grinding with everybody."
Kent Island 20, River Hill 7
Goals: KI – Zach Goodrich 5, Bobby Guiffreda 5, Stone Boone 3, Luke Fromert 2, Connor Flounlacker 1, Justin Messersmith 1, J.D. Beck 1, Brendan Smith 1, Nathan DuLaney 1; RH – Jimmy McEneaney 5, Zach Beard 1, Josh Schulman 1
Assists: KI – Goodrich 3, Fromert 2, Guiffreda 2, Boone 1, Jake Catron 1, Parker Dixon 1, Flounlacker 1, Mikey Quinn 1; RH – Danny Isaac 3, Brendan McKenna 2, Beard 1
Saves: KI – Dylan Abplanalp 9; RH – Darius Khademi 7
Halftime: 8-3, Kent Island