GUILDERLAND — What a long, strange trip this season has been for the Guilderland boys’ lacrosse team. It got even stranger on Tuesday.

After losing their first two games of the season — including a blowout to Niskayuna, 14-2 — the Dutchmen hit their stride by winning their last five games and seven of their last eight. Their only loss has been against non-league foe Lakeland.

After playing several of those eight to one-goal outcomes, the Dutchmen have blasted the past three teams they’ve played by using a thunderous defense and a lightning quick offense.

The only thing that has been able to stop the Guilderland team is the thunder and lightning.

On Tuesday, the Senior Night regular-season finale against Saratoga had to be stopped with 3:34 left in the third quarter because of a lightning storm. The game will be finished on Friday on Guilderland’s Don Snyder Field at 4:15 p.m. Guilderland played Shaker on Wednesday.

Shot at league championship

In their past two games, Guilderland beat Bethlehem, 16-3, and beat Ballston Spa Saturday in a non-league game, 19-4. The Dutchmen also blasted Burnt Hills’ first-year varsity team last Tuesday.

Wednesday’s and Friday’s games will be the last two of the season for the Dutchmen. They lead the Suburban Council Blue Division and are looking to win the league and earning the number-one seed in the sectional playoffs.
"We are not too concerned," Guilderland Coach Sean McConaghy said after Thursday’s game. "We got two points today and haven’t dropped any points since we lost to Niskayuna. We win two more games and we have a shot at being the number-one seed and being league champs. We have two games left and we need to win them."

Niskayuna handed the Dutchmen their only loss in the league so far this season. The Dutch avenged that loss with a one-goal win against the perennial power Silver Warriors late last month.

Bethlehem beat Niskayuna early last week, and Thursday’s contest against Guilderland was billed as a big match. Bethlehem beat the Dutch in a non-league game to open the season in early April.

New team

But Guilderland showed it was a much different team now. The Dutch jumped out to an early lead and cruised to an easy win.

The Dutchmen shut out the Eagles in the second half and McConaghy was able to get just about everyone on his roster into the game.
"We got kids that have not been playing some time," the coach said. "And we did not give up a single goal and got the win. Those two things are a positive for us"
"The defense always shows up," McConaghy added. "But the offense came to play today."

Junior Brian Linehan got the scoring started with a goal 10:27 into the game. His tally was assisted by classmate Quinn Connell.

Senior Uriah Myrie scored with an assist from sophomore Rory Nunamacher and Connell was credited with a goal after the Bethlehem goalie lost the ball into the goal while trying to clear it from the crease.

The Eagles got two goals — from Terry Daley and Matt Johnson — to cut the Dutch’s lead to one. But Guilderland scored two more goals in the first quarter.

Aaron Cahill scored on a rocket shot near the restraining line. Myrie assisted on the goal.

Connell scored again with an assist from defender Scott Raffensperger on a fast-break attempt.

Guilderland dominated the second quarter. Matt Stillman scored two goals — the first assisted by Cahill, the second by Connell — to start the quarter strong.

Bethlehem got a goal from Andrew Vincent after Stillman’s first tally with 5:46 to go until halftime. They would not score again.

Myrie scored to make the tally 8-3 with 54 seconds left until halftime.

Nunamacher, off an assist from Connell, scored the first goal of the second half. Cahill then had back-to-back goals — with assists from Travis Moore and Connell — to make the score 11-3.

Freshman Paul Jones scored two goals in a row — assisted by Stillman and Moore — to put the Dutch up by 10, 13-3.

Senior Chris Conway scored the final goal of the third quarter off an assist by Moore.

Stillman and Moore scored in the fourth quarter for the Dutchmen. Stillman was assisted by Myrie and Moore was assisted by Conway.

Junior Nick Koss made seven saves in the goal for the Dutch. Senior Nick Stefani also played in goal but didn’t see any shots.

The face-off battle was close, 11-10, but the Dutchmen were tenacious on ground balls, scooping up 54 of them.
"That should be the way we’ve been playing all year," McConaghy said. "We played a great, great game. It’s a big difference when we put a whole game together."

McConaghy has been stressing to his team about playing a full 48 minutes and he got it on Thursday.

Raffensperger shut down Johnson, the section’s leading scorer, and sophomore Kip Stillman did a good job of defense on Matt DiFrancesco.

But it was all aspects of the game that were on display Thursday. And the Dutch were able to relax instead of being in a tight game.
"Those are character builders," McConaghy said. "We’ve had them throughout the year. So, if we get a situation like that at sectionals, we will be able to handle it."

And this is the time of year the Dutch want to be playing their best lacrosse.
"That’s all we want to do," McConaghy said. "We want to be playing well in May when it counts."