SAILIN' INTO THE SEMIS!

COLLINS-HARTWING NETS WINNER WITH 2:13 LEFT
RED DEVILS CELEBRATE FIRST-EVER PLAYOFF WIN
FOUR SECOND HALF GOALS PROVE DIFFERENCE

(CLARENCE) On friday, the Clarence Red Devils hosted the Williamsville North Spartans in the quarterfinals of the Section 6 playoffs. The 4 vs. 5 seed matchup would ring true to its billing, as the Red Devils found a way to edge the visiting Spartans 5-4 in the last minutes of the contest. Jordan Collins-Hartwig scored three second half goals to lead Clarence into the semifinal game against Orchard Park. Collins-Hartwig registered his 100th career goal as a Red Devil with 2:13 left for the game winner. A much improved North squad battled Clarence for a solid 48 minutes of play. However, it was Red Devils that re-discovered their offense in the late moments to pick up the all important victory.

In the initial stages of the game, you just felt the game would be tightly played. Both teams looked solid defensively, limiting the opponent to very few scoring opportunities. The Red Devils struck first on a great individual effort by sophomore Tayler Swanson. Swanson took the ball at the top of the North defense and dodged towards the net. It was tough going, as the defense quickly closed on the midfielder's dodge. However, Swanson fought through a couple North defenders and was quickly body checked. While falling, Tayler unleashed a low, hard shot towards the net. The shot beat Spartan goalie Pat Stasio to make it 1-0 in favor of the Red Devils.

It wouldn't take long for North to respond. Just 19 seconds later, the Spartans found the back of the net on a pretty passing play. The goal was setup off a nice pass from senior Joe Greenwald. Moving the ball quickly around the Clarence defense, Greenwald set up shop behind the net. Seeing a seam in the Red Devil defense, Greenwald skipped a pass up to senior Nick Hereth who fired a quick, hard shot past goalie Ryan Duff (10 saves). The goal knotted the game at 1-1 with just over nine minutes to play in the first.

Clarence has struggled offensively in recent games and the first half of this game was no different. Failing to threaten the North defense, the Red Devils created very few scoring opportunities. One bright spot was Ryan Connolly and his faceoff crew who took 11 of 13 faceoffs throught the contest. Clarence and North traded possession time but neither could generate many shots. Finally, with just under three minutes to play in the first, the Spartans struck once again. The goal was set up by sophomore attackman Craig Petit. Once again, the methodical North offense used ball movement to exploit the Clarence defense. Petit set up at X, soon spotted fellow sophomore Ryan Sans alone in an open seam. Moving the ball quickly, Petit fired the ball over to Sans. Finding an opening, Sans buried the ball past Duff. The "sophomore connection" ignited a wave of emotion from the boisterous North crowd. The host team now found themselves down 2-1 going into the second.

Neither team scored in the second quarter. Clarence fought off three man-down situations during the interval, allowing few scoring opportunities. J.D. Skura, Nick Hoffman and Jared Stockwell played well, registering several take-aways. Midfielders JJ. Hughes and Caleb Higgins used their speed to win several groundball battles, combining for a total of 13 on the day. Overall, a good defensive effort, but again very little was accomplished offensively. The halftime score remained 2-1 in favor of Williamsville North.

The North defense shutoff Jordan Collins-Hartwig in the first half. For Clarence to be successful in the second, the Red Devil offense would have to find some way of getting the ball in his hands. However, it would be the Spartans who struck next, building up the game's only two goal lead. The goal game three and a half minutes into the second half. Kurtis Noble was the setup man, parked out at X behind the Clarence goal. Noble found Fabozzi alone in front and quickly passed the ball out front. Fabozzi's bounce shot beat Duff to give the Spartans a commanding 3-1 lead in a game where goals were very much a premium.

If the Red Devils had any hopes of advancing further in the playoffs, they would have to respond with the next goal. North goalie Pat Stasio was having a good day in net, and it didn't look as though the Red Devils were going to beat him with any ordinary shot. Clarence got their big response in the form of a great shot by senior Dan Salvatore. Moving the ball up top of the defense, Salvatore caught Stasio by surprise with hard bounce shot from just a couple yards inside the restraining line. The ball bounced up underneath the crossbar to pull the Devils back within one. The goal was a critical turning point, and rejuvenated the sluggish Clarence sideline. North led 3-2.

The remainder of the quarter saw back and forth action with few legitimate scoring opportunities. It looked as though the scoring was finished for the third, when Jordan Collins-Hartwig came alive offensively. With just seven seconds remaining, Collins-Hartwig scored on a great individual effort. Picking up a groundball at the midfield area, Collins-Hartwig legged it down deep into the North zone. Experiencing little resistance, he continued dodging towards the net, ripping a laser past Stasio. The goal came at an important time for Clarence as they were attempting to create some type of momentum going into the fourth quarter. Three to three after three!

The fourth quarter was a nail-biter for both teams, each attempting to net the go ahead goal, while hoping to eliminate any possible defensive breakdowns. Still feeding off the first Collins-Hartwig goal, the Red Devils responded with yet another just two minutes into the fourth. Again, it was scored by Collins-Hartwig. Loose on the top of the Spartan defense, Collins-Hartwig quickly dodged down the alley. The ruinning shot beat Stasio "five hole" on a nice hard bouncer from about 10 yards away. The Red Devils now led 4-3. However, ten minutes remained in the contest and Clarence would have to score at least one insurance goal to put the clamp down on the Spartans.

Minutes later, North made a statement of their own. Earlier in the season, this North team wouldn't have responded in this fashion. However, Coach Smart had his team playing their best lacrosse at season's end. More importantly, they were a team that had the confidence to fight back. That's exactly what they did, tying the game on a nice transition goal. The Spartans took the ball away from a Red Devil midfielder and quickly transitioned it back into the Clarence zone. Joe Greenwald ended up making the setup pass, firing the ball to Jason Garofolo waiting in the crease. The junior attackman quickly redirected the pass into the net. Duff had no chance on the quickstick shot and the game was tied once again at 4-4. Once again, the North side celebrated. The home team would have to find a way to fight back the swing in momentum.

Although, the Red Devils have struggled offensively in recent games, the one thing this team has learned, is how to win in close games. The last minutes of the game were filled with excitement on both sides. Both teams had several opportunities. The Spartans looked to gain the advantage with just under six minutes left on an extra man opportunity. However, no goal was scored until just over two minutes remained. In one fell swoop, Jordan Collins-Hartwig recorded a hat trick, his 100th career goal, and picked up the game winner to lead his his team to the Class A semifinals! Taking the ball at the top of the North defense, Collins-Hartwig once again isolated his defender and dodged hard towards the Spartan goal. Gaining a slight edge, Jordan fired a running shot towards the net. Stasio was beaten soundly, and the Red Devils celebrated their go-ahead goal in the late stages of the contest!

The final two minutes were filled with tension as Clarence attempted to maintain possession against a desperate Spartan defense. However, North could not respond with a quality scoring opportunity, and Clarence advanced to their first-ever semifinal playoff appearance. The nine year journey to playoff success was whole-heartedly celebrated by the Clarence players and fans. This group of seniors leaves several achievements in its wake. However, the 2008 squad will be most importantly remembered as the first team to win a quarterfinal in the Class A sectional playoffs. This team has helped advance the Clarence lacrosse program one step further towards competing with WNY's best. They should be proud!

Speaking of WNY's best, Clarence meets Class A power Orchard Park on tuesday down at OP. The Red Devils will try their best to redeem a poor effort against the Quakers on May 15th. Hope to see all our great fans out in support of the boys!