Luke Hamel’s game-tying goal with 8:50 left in the game setup a dramatic finish as Fayetteville-Manlius boys lacrosse team rallied to a 14-12 comeback win over Baldwinsville.
When they played Baldwinsville at home, F-M scored 17 goals and it was in the middle of an offensive explosion that lasted three games and watched them score 54 goals.
However, this game was a little different and saw F-M struggle at the beginning. It wasn’t a blowout. It wasn’t a laugher. It was just a competitive game that saw two teams that had changed since the first meeting play very hard.
F-M (9-3, 6-1) was down 5-2 early in the game, but, they weathered the storm and hung in there until they were able to find their shape and break free.
After cutting the deficit to one just before the first quarter ended, the Hornets both scored and conceded four goals throughout the second and third quarters.
Up until that point, the Hornets looked lethargic offensively, but, they remembered what their coaches have emphasized all season in patience, but, they reminded themselves of the word in a different context.
F-M didn’t fold under pressure when they knew that they were going to have to score pretty fast. They were patient and allowed good things to come to them.
With less than seven minutes remaining in the game and as the sideline was celebrating the even scoreboard, Sam Stratton came up with a huge play and caused the turnover that led to the goal that Tommy Ryu scored to give the Hornets the lead.
From there, the Hornets would never have to look back. The score stood at 11-10 in favor of F-M at the point, but their attack, which consists of Mac Fish, Donovan Welsh, and Luke Burnam, was hungry for more and wanted to continue to score goals.
Burnam did his thing and scored three goals and had an assist, which was to James Rettinger, who finished with two goals and one assist.
Welsh started slow, but got his head in the game when it mattered the most. He helped the Hornets secure the victory and ended up scoring four goals, including the team’s final two that completed the comeback.
Right before Welsh provided F-M with extra security blankets, Mac Fish began to control the game. He found the back of the net soon after Ryu gave their team the lead and scored one of the two goals that he had on the night.
The Hornets also got goals from Nick Papa and Ted Wells as they were staging the comeback.
