Patriots’ lacrosse team qualifies for state tournament

By tim morris
Staff Writer

When Steve Gibb took his first look at his Freehold Township lacrosse team back in March, he knew an immediate re-appraisal was called for.

"At the end of last year, I was just looking for us to win more games than last year," he said. "When they came after playing in the winter league at Peddie (in Hightstown), I couldn’t believe the difference in the skill level of these guys."

It was a change that had Gibb thinking he had a team that legitimately could have a winning season and a realistic shot at making the state playoffs in just its third year as a varsity program.

The overnight metamorphosis of the Pat­riots into a contender is not the result of some magic potion, but the only true cata­lyst of success — hard work.

"The attitude of these kids is great," said Gibb. "The work ethic of these kids and their dedication in the off-season paid off."

The Patriots completed their rapid rise in the up-and-coming sport of lacrosse on May 12 when they beat Bernards, 12-2, to improve to 7-6 on the season and qualify for the state playoffs for the first time. Teams had to be .500 or better as of May 15 to get into the NJSIAA tourney.

Jimmy O’Brien had a hat trick for the Pats and Adam Miller and Dennis Novello netted a pair each. Chris Jones, Justin Similo, Jason Weinberger, Dan Griepenberg and Al Capri­otti also scored for the Patriots.

Similo, Kevin Wagner and Frank Ettinger had two assists. Goalie Justin Raiten, who has been sen­sational all year, stopped six shots in pick­ing up the win.

"I have to hand it to them," said Gibb, whose team was 4-6 with the May 15 dead­line approaching, "when the chips were down and they needed to perform, they stepped it up and took their game to an­other level.

"When we needed to play well, they were passing the ball better and were much more physical," he said. "When there were loose balls on the ground, we didn’t have one or two but four guys going for it."

Gibb looks at the big picture when evaluating what Township’s first-ever state playoff berth means.

"This means a lot for the high school program and the kids, and a great deal for the sport of lacrosse in the area," he said. "It has to get people excited that we’ve made it to the point where we’re playing the best teams."

The Patriots were a streaky team this year, racing out to a 3-0 record only to fall to 3-3 and then 4-6 before the three-game winning streak that put them in the post­season.

Looking back on the season, Gibb pointed to the overtime 4-3 win at Old Bridge (an established program) on April 30.

"They did not quit," he said. "I knew how tired they were, but they showed their determination to win."

With three regular-season games re­maining, plus the tournament, the Patriots are not about to rest on their laurels. Their goal is to finish with a winning record.

Having taken the giant step this year to qualify for the state tournament is not an end in itself, according to Gibb. He knows there is still room for improvement.

"We still need to work on our stick skills," he said. "We’re just starting to un­derstand the entire game. Overall, we need to improve our athletic ability."

The NJSIAA boy’s lacrosse tournament begins this week with Freehold Township traveling to Seton Hall Prep in the first round.