Herkimer County Community College outscored Onondaga Community College 8-7 over the final 38:50 of Sunday’s Region III men’s lacrosse championship game.
It was the first 21:10 that cost the Generals.
Onondaga raced to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter and a half and never looked back as it beat the Generals 14-8 to capture its fourth straight regional title Sunday at HCCC’s Wehrum Stadium.
The win by the two-time defending national champions avenges a 24-19 regular-season loss to the Generals April 12.
It also earns the Lakers a trip to Nassau Community College for next weekend’s NJCAA Final Four.
The loss doesn’t mean the end for the Generals, though, seedings for the Final Four next weekend were announced a couple hours after yesterday’s game. Despite the loss, HCCC received the No. 2 seed and could very well see Onondaga a third time in Sunday’s national championship game.
HCCC will square off with Essex (Md.) in the second semifinal Saturday at 3 p.m., while Onondaga faces Nassau at noon in the first semifinal.
“That was definitely the difference,” HCCC attackman Justin Hayes said of the slow start by the Generals. “We didn’t get off to a very good start at all. I don’t think it was intensity. We were ready to play. Their goalie was just standing on his head making saves and we weren’t hitting our shots.”
Onondaga goalie Andy Lamb made several outstanding saves early and finished with 17 for the game. Because of his outstanding play, the senior was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
“Their goalie had a great game, but we made him look good as well,” HCCC coach Rich Dommer said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well and our offense just wasn’t clicking today.”
It was the lowest scoring output by the Generals in Dommer’s two years at the helm and four goals less than what they had in their previous low this season, a 14-12 loss to Nassau.
In both of those losses the opposition did a nice job of defending HCCC’s two leading scorers in Justin Hayes and David Brock.
Hayes did finish with three goals and an assist, but two of those goals came in the second half after Onondaga had a comfortable lead. Brock, meanwhile, was held without a goal, just as he was against Nassau.
Brock did get two assists.
Onondaga’s offense was clicking much better especially in the first quarter and a half.
Ed Prevost opened the scoring for the Lakers 5:54 into the game and Vinnie Alexander made it 2-0 a couple of minutes later.
Prevost added two more goals, Scott Cost, Alexander and Logan Kane all scored to give the Lazers a 7-0 lead with 8:50 left in the half.
Hayes finally got HCCC on the board off a nice low shot with 8:20 left in the half. That was followed by a big save by goalie Zach Bates an the offense rewarded him as J.P. Finn scored off a Hayes feed.
HCCC looked like it might make it 7-3, but Kevin Kemp’s shot 20 seconds after Finn’s goal caromed off the goal post and Onondaga answered quickly as Cody Johnson scored off a Holdon Vyse assist to make it 8-2.
HCCC got as close as four goals on a couple of occasions in the second half, the first on a Jake Koch goal with 7:34 left in the third quarter off a Brock feed.
Then with 8:36 left in the game, Hayes scored unassisted to pull HCCC within 12-8, but that would be the Generals’ final goal of the game.
Dommer said the tempo of this game, after a fast-paced affair in the previous game against Onondaga, did not favor his Generals.
“We like to get up and down the field and they slowed it down which affected us,” Dommer said. “We beat them the first time, but it’s tough to have to play a totally different style and win again.”
Koch had three goals for the Generals and was an all-tournament selection along with Hayes, Bates and defender Brandon Phelps.
Prevost, Johnson and Vyse all made the all-tournament team for Onondaga.
While the loss is disappointing for Dommer and the Generals, whose seniors will leave Herkimer without a regional title, Hayes found solace in the fact that it was not the end of the season.
“This does not hurt our confidence at all. We know we could see these guys again and now it’s 1-1,” he said. “Hopefully we can get the next one if we get the opportunity.”
Dommer agreed.
“We get a chance to live to play another day. I still think we’re the best team in the country and hopefully we can prove that next weekend,” Dommer said.