During each timeout in overtime of his team’s struggle with Boys’ Latin Friday night, St. Mary’s coach Rob Chomo had the same message.
“Concentration, execution and confidence,” Chomo said.
The No. 6 Saints showed all three facets during regulation and after nearly eight minutes of extra play, the end result was a thrilling 13-12 double overtime decision over the No. 2 Lakers in Annapolis. Nate Lewnes scored the game-winner with 1 minute, 16 seconds remaining in second overtime.
Lewnes, a junior attack, finished with five goals for St. Mary’s (6-0 overall), and Mike Bonacci added four goals and two assists. Senior Wells Stanwick led Boys’ Latin (4-2) with four goals and had an assist.
Lewnes took a pass from Logan Connolly and fired a quick shot past Lakers’ goalie Adam Davey in the upper right, giving the Annapolis school its biggest win so far in MIAA A Conference play. The Saints (3-0 league), No. 3 Calvert Hall College and No. 4 McDonogh School are the only unbeatens in arguably the nation’s toughest league.
While concentration, execution and confidence steered the Saints’ ship Friday, a little luck didn’t hurt either.
“It really wasn’t supposed to be that play, we were supposed run another play,” said Lewnes. “Logan saw me on the crease and I cut and he hit me. It worked out pretty well.”
“Logan did a great job changing direction behind the cage, creating separation and Nate’s a great finisher,” said Chomo. “We had a set after a timeout, but if it doesn’t look good, let’s play lacrosse.”
Lewnes and Connolly’s heroics would not been possible if junior Skyler Morse hadn’t come up big in goal. In the first overtime, Morse (16 saves) knocked down a Taylor Stolhoff shot, but Andrew Dempsey got the groundball and went around the backside.
Dempsey found Stanwick, who took an open shot from five yards out, but a diving Morse deflected the ball. After the battle for the ball outside of the crease, Boys’ Latin was called for a push.
“I just tried to hit something,” said Morse, who recently moved into starting role with Reed Carlson out injured.
“It hit the shaft,” said Stanwick. “It was an amazing save.”
Stanwick, the area’s No. 1 player who will play for Johns Hopkins University next spring, beat Morse with 1:31 remaining in regulation, to tie the game at 12. The Lakers had a chance for the lead with about 45 seconds left when Colin Heacock intercepted a Morse clear about 15 yards away. He got around Morse, but his shot missed wide of the open goal.
The Lake Avenue school had little problem getting the ball into the twine, leading 11-8 late in the third after scores by Stanwick, Greg Pyke, Dempsey and Jeff Chase. The Saints closed the period with scores by Pat Manley (three goals and an assist) and Connolly.
Lewnes beat Davey (15 saves) with a low shot, pulling the Saints even with 10:36 remaining. Morse denied Stanwick on a point blank attempt with 7:20 left, and St. Mary’s converted on the offense end. Connolly made a couple of moves behind the goal before finding an open Bonacci, who scored the lead goal with 5:32 remaining in regulation.
“It was back and forth. We had a good lead in the third quarter and couldn’t hold it,” said Boys’ Latin coach Bob Shriver, whose team fell to 1-1 in league. “We had the ball on a few faceoffs and missed the scoop and the next thing you know they scored two.
Give the kid [Morse] a lot of credit. We hit him in the chest, we hit him in the foot. We had a couple of great opportunities and couldn’t get the ball by the goal. He made some miraculous saves.”
Chomo said Morse has established himself in goal as the Saints sent a huge message Friday that they’re in for the long haul in the MIAA A title chase. St. Mary’s plays defending champ and top-ranked St. Paul’s School Tuesday
“We played six games tonight. We never talked about the score,” said Chomo, who succeeded Matt Hogan on the sidelines. “The players didn’t get nervous, the coaches didn’t get nervous. We knew if we kept working and executing, we would score when got the ball and stop them on defense.”
