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| It was the end of the line for goalie Kevin Skirvin and the Rangers, but Westborough enjoyed a memorable season in coach Tom Baker's second year at the helm. |
By Max Bloch (@maxblochlive)
Ed. Note: SuiteSports would like to welcome Max Bloch, a Westborough High School alum that is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Syracuse, a school too smart to accept me. Not that I'm bitter... Anyways, Max took in the Rangers' playoff game against Westfield yesterday, and has been kind enough to write up a post game blog for us. You can check out his bio below, and be on the lookout for him on the sidelines of high school lacrosse playoff games the rest of the way. Oh, and you should totally follow him on Twitter. -Joe
Westborough and Westfield, two foes as unfamiliar as can be. 65.9 miles separated the two contenders, both looking to punch their ticket to the Central/West Division 2 semifinals. But on a rainy summer day, the ‘Field would take control of the ‘Borough.
A Tale Of Two Halves
Now, of course every game is divided into two halves, but this one was more divided into segments: pre-lightning and post-lightning.
The Rangers led by a score of 5-4 and seemed to have momentum just seconds into the 3rd quarter, when the game was delayed a mandatory 30-minutes for lightning.
With fans running to their cars, both teams hustled into Westfield High School and had nearly an hour to talk over strategy. Westfield had been way to reliant on All-American goalie Jake Cupak in half number one, and needed someone to help out freshman Zach Gentle, who had 3 of the team’s 4 goals.
As the skies cleared and both teams returned to the field, the home team seemed recharged. The Bombers stopped Westborough on the first possession after the restart, and then Gentle was back at it. He’d score two in a row and Westfield never looked back, outscoring the Rangers 7-1 after the delay.
The crazy thing is, Westborough had plenty of opportunities, just like Westfield, in half number 2. But, Cupak would have none of it. The kid stopped 12 shots altogether and was really the difference maker for the Bombers.
Recap For The Rangers
Westborough will return a solid amount of players next year, but will certainly lose some stars. Their four captains, all seniors, will graduate next week and be huge loses for the team.
Captains Mike Gallo and Kyle Lemack, both 4-year varsity players, will both be missed. Gallo totaled 61 points on 25 goals and 36 assists, while Lemack added 51 points on 35 goals and 16 assists.
Captain Connor Joyce really came alive in his senior season, becoming one of the most reliable scoring options for the Rangers, tallying 31 goals this season.
Possibly the most irreplaceable player for the Rangers is their goalkeeper, captain Kevin Skirvin. Back-to-back years of outstanding goaltending for the Rangers in 2012 and 2013 did not miss a beat in 2014. In all honesty, the kid came out of nowhere this season. Skirvin average 7.56 goals against through the team’s tough 18-game schedule, and made some highlight reel saves in each of those contests.
Other key seniors the Rangers will lose include their go to faceoff guy, Kevin White, and clearing-midfielder, Dan Feigelman.
The Rangers will return their entire defensive unit, along with starting midfielders Jake Foster and Charlie Katz, and starting attackman Jack Pierce.
About The Writer
Max Bloch will be a junior this fall at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He is majoring in Broadcast & Digital Journalism and minoring in Sports Management. A Westborough native and former Central Mass lacrosse player, Bloch loves covering the game at any level. He hopes to one day broadcast all sports at a national level.
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