CVU runs over Essex to reach 8th straight final
HINESBURG – The Essex Hornets had a dream start against their nemesis: They struck first and held Champlain Valley scoreless for nearly the entire opening quarter.
“We put time into a game plan and we thought we were going to have it rolling,” Essex coach Ira Isham said.
Then Sean Gilliam found his shot and his confidence. Then a healthy Alex Leonard started firing. And then CVU’s defense refused to budge.
And after that, it was too late for Essex to muster a response.
Gilliam racked up four goals and three assists, Leonard struck four times and No. 1 Champlain Valley efficiently brushed aside fifth-seeded Essex 11-5 in a Division I high school boys lacrosse semifinal showdown on Wednesday.
More:Vermont H.S. playoff scores for Wednesday, June 9
More:Vermont high school playoffs: 2021 VPA spring tournament pairings
The Redhawks (16-1) will go for a record eighth straight D-I title when they take on No. 3 Burr and Burton in Saturday’s championship tilt at Buck Hard Field. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
“Win or lose I’m thrilled with what these guys have done this season. We’ll prepare hard for Saturday,” first-year CVU coach Tom Garvey said. “We look at this as a great opportunity for our team. But we don’t feel pressure of continuing the streak.”
Tuesday, it was about dispatching rival Essex for a third time this season. While CVU won both meetings, the first matchup went to double overtime and the second was a tight, well-played 8-6 decision.
And given the teams’ playoff history — Tuesday’s semifinal was their 12th postseason matchup since 2007 — a drawn-out struggle for a title-game berth appeared in the works.
Essex senior Chris Davis offered the first salvo, dropping his shoulder and whipping a lefty bullet into the cage at 7:48 of the first quarter.
Unable to hit the target for the first 10-plus minutes of the first quarter, Gilliam didn’t allow his misses to consume his mental approach.
With under 90 seconds to go in the period, Gilliam backed down his defender and flipped in the tying goal. Thirty seconds later, Shane Gorman whipped in the go-ahead tally for CVU.
“I get nervous before these games and I’m afraid to make the first move, it’s a mental block,” Gilliam said. “Being out there and playing and contributing, it feels so good to be out there and playing with the boys and getting stuff done.”
CVU’s momentum carried into the second quarter: The hosts stretched an unanswered run to 7, with Gilliam founding the back of the net twice, Leonard adding two more on Gilliam assists and Colin Zouck rising for a tally.
“We tell our guys to keep going to goal and keep working to get their shots,” Garvey said.
The Redhawks also made Essex pay for its miscues. On one turnover that led to a CVU ground ball win, Gilliam found a cutting Leonard for a quick strike.
“We’ll make eye contact across the field and I know where he’s going to be,” Gilliam said of his chemistry with Leonard, who had battled a late-season injury. “Alex does an amazing job getting open and he has an amazing shot. It was great to see that today.”
Essex, meanwhile, went nearly 15 minutes without a goal until Davis’ second tally at 4:51 of the second. But the 7-2 margin was too much for Essex to overcome.
“It just didn’t click for us today. Our sticks weren’t crisp enough, our passes weren’t there, our shot selection wasn’t there — that’s what cost us in the end,” Isham said. “We played way too much defense.”
Isham applauded CVU’s defensive approach.
“They don’t overplay the ball and the trust themselves in the team game,” Isham said. “They changed it up a little bit and slid early, and we couldn’t adjust to it.”
CVU goalie Jake Bowen’s eight saves included a snag late in the first half to preserve a 5-1 intermission lead. Most other times, Bowen’s defensemen gave Essex little room to maneuver in a man-to-man system or CVU maintained long stretches of possession.
“It was nice to see our defense come together and hit on all cylinders,” Garvey said. “They played as a group today, it was fun to watch.”
Carter Frankenhoff, Sam Bowen and Tanner Robbins had fourth-quarter goals for Essex (10-5). Ben Russell made seven stops.
Become a member of the Vermont Varsity Insider Facebook group at https://bit.ly/2MGSfvX.
Contact Alex Abrami at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.
