You don’t always bring your ‘A’ game. And the other team doesn’t always allow you to. But then you find a way to win anyhow. A sign of maturity as a team. Benjamin scored a less than perfect victory last night in the first round of the FHSAA playoffs with a 6-2 road win over Jensen Beach in a game that featured lengthy possessions, solid defensive play on both sides and, at times, poor shooting that almost turned the tide of the game.  Jensen struggled mightily in the first half to get any really good looks as they had a tough time breaking down Benjamin’s middies and when they did get inside the Benjamin close defense caused a number of turnovers (7 in the 2nd quarter) and eventually JB started settling for outside shots in the first half that Benjamin goalie Anthony Cicio was able to get a good look at. On the other end Benjamin struggled at times to break down the Jensen defensive middies, and when they did they were not settling for the middle range shots when they were available, and tried to get closer to goal where the Jensen defense was able to smother the ball carrier before they could get the shot off.  And when Benjamin did get open looks in good scoring locations they uncharacteristically missed the net on a number of them.  This kept Benjamin from potentially putting the game away in the first half and gave Jensen some hope in the second half, which they did capitalize on to make the game close.                                               But after Jensen was able to pull within one goal late in the third quarter Benjamin’s Andrew Packer made up for a sluggish first half with the key goal of the game, with just one tick left on the clock to put the lead back up to 2 and Benjamin was able to put the game away in the fourth.  The intensity of the game was for the most part concentrated on the defensive end of the field and no play more dramatized that then the incredible save made by Cicio about a minute after Jensen scored their first goal.  A cross-crease feed to his left found the Jensen attacker with a free look at an open net.  Cicio dove to his left and managed to deflect away the targeted shot with an outstretched stick to keep the score 3-1 and given that JB did score late in the third this save kept Benjamin in front.  Given how the game was played out there was no telling what might have happened if Jensen had entered the fourth tied at 3-3 with how the first half had played out. But what-if’s are the staple of sports, and that save had bigger connotations than first realized when it occurred.  As important as Packer’s goal was, that save, in retrospect, might well have saved Benjamin’s season. But the save was made, and Benjamin moves on as one of the favorites to win the whole thing. The fourth quarter itself saw Jensen run out of steam as Benjamin’s defense really clamped down, allowing only 2 shots at goal the entire period and patiently running their offense until they were able to score twice to make the final 6-2.  It really was two separate games;  the first and fourth quarters when Benjamin’s offense played intelligently and the middle two where Jensen got Benjamin out of their offensive rhythm.  Jensen just could not generate enough offense to put them in front and that made the difference.  

                                                

  Benjamin opened the scoring at 6:31 of the first as Jeremy Stauffer scored unassisted, as he dodged from the high left wing to the middle and then worked his way closer to the net before hitting the top right corner with the right hand for 1-0.  Benjamin stretched the lead to 2-0 at 3:32 as Stauffer took McKenna Johnston’s high right wing feed lower on the wing and found the short side with the left hand.  The open look was the result of a bad substitution that let Benjamin get a 2 on 1 up top and Stauffer’s defender had to slide off him, leaving Stauffer open for the goal. The second period featured Benjamin controlling possession time and outshooting Jensen 10-5 but a number of the shots on goal were off target even though they were great looks and the only goal scored in the quarter was from the unlikely combination of Christian Cropp feeding John Dorsett in the middle as Dorsett was cutting in from the left wing.  Dorsett took the pass and shot right-handed into the cage on the left side at 9:47 and the half ended with Benjamin holding a 3-0 lead. Benjamin’s shooting woes continued into the third quarter as they took only 5 shots and managed to put only one of them on goal.  Of course, that one was pretty important. While Benjamin went through this funk the Jensen offense started to find a rhythm.  At 9:04, Beau Ladwig scored unassisted as he dodged down the right alley and fired a right hand shot that Cicio got a lot of stick on, but the ball popped out of his stick and dropped behind him into the goal and it was 3-1.  The aforementioned Cicio save then occurred a minute later to keep a major momentum swing from occurring but Jensen continued to push for more and with 1:24 left they pulled within one as Jared Welsh made his way around the left side, starting behind the net before working up the left wing and dodging to the left crease area, beating Cicio to the far, upper corner to make it 3-2.  Benjamin pushed hard at the end of the quarter, and after a save by Jensen goalie Austin Brodie, who played a very good game too, the ball deflected to the right goal line extended and into the stick of a waiting Packer and he quickly stepped up the wing before getting off a left-hand bullet placed perfectly in the upper left corner with just one second on the clock to make it 4-2 after three. Kind of reminded me of a Kung Fu movie where the soundtrack gives you one of those short pfffffft sounds and the protagonist hits the ground.  It definitely took something out of Jensen.                                                                     Benjamin completely controlled the pace and possession of the fourth, out-shooting Jensen 9-2 and at 6:53 they started to put the game away as Johnston took a Will Nicklaus EMO feed from behind the left side of the goal as he cut to the middle, placing it left-handed to the top left of the net for 5-2 and Packer finished out the scoring at 3:44 unassisted, taking a lengthy pass off a turnover and making a spin move to his left hand from the right wing and going to the low left corner to make the final 6-2. Benjamin moves on to face Melbourne Central Catholic on Friday in a game that should be very different to this one.  Jensen needed to play a possession game to play to its strengths.  MCC only knows one way to play, full speed ahead and batten down the hatches.  Should make the Benjamin offense smile a bit more.  Coach Shane Rye’s team showed their mettle when challenged and when they weren’t playing their best, and that will likely help them as the tournament continues. Jensen Beach finishes up the season with a 10-7 record and their first District title as a varsity program.  Certainly a nice platform for Coach Matt Sofarelli and his staff to build on.  We certainly haven’t heard the last from this program and the future looks bright for another beachhead for the sport as the entire Treasure Coast gears up for this sport.  And a thank you to Coach Cuozzo for spending a couple of minutes with me too. For the Jensen seniors we thank you for your time and efforts and wish you the best as you go on to the next level, whether playing lacrosse or not! Thanks to the coaching staffs for spending the time before and after the game and good luck to Benjamin as they continue on the path in seeking their first Varsity state championship!   Team Statistics:   Faceoffs:  Benjamin 6 – Jensen Beach 5 Shots:  Benjamin 33 – Jensen Beach 17 Shots on Goal:  Benjamin 15 – Jensen Beach 10 Turnovers:  Benjamin 15 – Jensen Beach 16 Penalties:  2 each   Individual Statistics   Benjamin Jeremy Stauffer and Andrew Packer  2G each McKenna Johnston  1G/1A John Dorsett  1G Will Nicklaus and Christian Cropp  1A each   Jensen Beach Beau Ladwig and Jared Welsh  1G each   Anthony Cicio made 8 saves and Austin Brodie made 9 saves