SMOKIN' JOES

THE 'DUFFINATOR' STRIKES AGAIN - REGISTERS 19 SAVES
HIGGINS DOMINATES MIDFIELD - PICKS UP 12 GROUNDBALLS
MAN-DOWN DEFENSE HOLDS-OFF MARAUDERS FOR SHUTOUT

(KENMORE) On Saturday, the Red Devils lacrosse team won their sixth straight game, shutting out the host St. Joes Marauders 7 to 0 in non-league play. Clarence finished off a grueling stretch of games that saw them playing seven games in twelve days. It's quite possible that the heightened activity was good for this team, as they seem to be playing their best lacrosse of the season. Ryan Duff was stellar in net , earning the shutout while making 19 saves. Overall, the special teams units had their best day, picking up two extra man goals, while denying all nine Marauder man-up opportunities.

The Red Devils started out a little slow offensively, looking a little weary after playing their third game in as many days. However, their legs kicked in midway into the first quarter as they began to create more and more scoring opportunities. Finally, with just over three minutes left in the first, Jordan Colllins-Hartwig ( 2g, 1a ) put Clarence on the board with a hard bounce shot from 10 yards out on the left slot. The goal was setup off a nice pass and assist from Dan Salvatore.

Collins-Hartwig wasn't finished yet, scoring another in the waning moments of the quarter. The Marauders had been penalized for an illegal crosscheck with 44 seconds remaining in the first. It didn't take long for the Red Devil EMO to take advantage, scoring 18 seconds later. Jordan Zaprowski ( 2g, 2a ) registered the assist, passing to Collins-Hartwig who buried it past the St. Joes' goalie. The timely goal put the Devils up 2 to 0 as the first quarter ended.

The contest turned out to be extremely physical, as both teams combined for 17 penalties. A large portion of the infractions were due to overzealous play in the midfield area. Much of it can be attributed to a large number of transitional plays and the ensuing battles for possession of groundballs.

Their was only one goal scored in the second quarter. The play was created by midfielder John Syty ( 1g, 1a ) as he carried in the ball, beating the St. Joes middies, then pressuring the Marauder defense into a slide. Syty quickly dumped the ball over to Zaprowski in the right crease area. Zap slammed it home to make it 3 to 0 Clarence. Both teams had several opportunitiies on the EMO. However, the score remained 3 to 0 at halftime.

The Red Devil defense was solid on the afternoon, killing off penalties and scooping up groundballs. Nick Robinson, JD Skura, Nick Hoffman and Jared Stockwell combined for 20 groundballs and helped Duff secure the shutout by blocking several Marauder shot attempts. Probably the best performance of the day was turned in by long stick midfielder Caleb Higgins. Besides collecting a team high 12 groundballs, Higgins dominated in the transition game. Several St. Joes midfielders fell victim to his crafty stickwork and all-out hustle, as he continually pushed the ball up to the Clarence attackman. Josh James once again proved his mettle, battling it out and keeping the St. Joes offense from generating many shot attempts. The play of the Devils' man-down unit was tenacious in the second half as Clarence was tagged for six penalties. Facing a barrage of St. Joes shots, Duff stood resolute, saving 13 shots in the final two quarters.

Clarence picked up three penalties in the third. However, it was the Red Devils who took advantage of the Marauders only man-down situation of the quarter. Dan Barron picked up the goal on a nice shot from the left crease. Collins-Hartwig was credited with the assist , and Clarence went up 3 to 0 on a nice EMO play.

The Devils struck again with just 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The play started in the Clarence zone as Nick Hoffman fought and won a groundball battle. Hoffman then worked his way upfield and fired a beautiful pass to John Syty. Syty ran the ball into the St. Joes' zone. The unsettled defense failed to pick him up, so Syty continued his hard charge to the net. It soon developed into a one-on-one duel between himself and the St. Joes' goaltender. Syty won the encounter, popping the ball into the back of the net to make the score 5 to 0 Devils at the end of three.

The fourth quarter started well for the Red Devils as Zaprowski scored just over two minutes in. The play was created by Higgins who scooped up a loose ball inside Red Devils territory. Caleb legged it up into the midfield and then proceeded to go on the attack, creating a play in the St. Joes zone. Higgins fired it into Barron, who then quickly sent a nice pass to the awaiting Zaprowski. As always, Zap put on the finishing touches, and the Devils now led 6 to 0.

The Devils man-down got some work in midway through the fourth as the Devils picked up a couple penalties. Duff and his crew were outstanding as they faced a continued barrage of shots by the St. Joes extra man offense. With just under five minutes to go, Barron registered his second goal of the day. The goal was created off a pretty play by Zaprowski who dodged around at the X. Zap beat his man, and the resulting slide left Barron alone to fire in the shot.

The 7 to 0 shutout victory over St. Joes can be seen as a valuable barometer reading, marking how far the Devils have come up in the past two weeks. The six game win streak is unprecedented in Clarence lacrosse history, and finds the Red Devils playing their best lacrosse at the right time. Next up, a prominent opponent that sets the benchmark for lacrosse in WNY; the Orchard Park Quakers come to town. The game time has been moved up to 4:00 to circumvent the District Elementary Track Meet starting at 5:00. Hope to see you all there!