After a couple of early season stumbles, the boys varsity lacrosse team notched its first win of the season on Friday at Salmon River. The win marks a turnaround for the Golden Bears, who struggled out of the gate against two league opponents.
Tuesday, April 1 – Massena 10, Canton 7
Canton’s season debut on the turf in Massena was a close contest, with the Bears coming up just a bit short.
Senior attackman Josh McLear opened the scoring for Canton off an assist from Junior attackman Jack Brandy. Senior Caleb Hartmann notched the second goal for the Bears, but a resilient Massena offense maintained a tight lead at halftime, 4-3.
Massena opened up the lead in the second half, despite an offensive flurry from senior attackman Josh Ayrassian, who tallied three goals and three assists on the day.
Coach Jeff Meyers named junior defenseman David Seymour player of the game, as he helped stifle several offensive chances for the Raiders.
Wednesday, April 2 – OFA 17, Canton 4
Wind blew, snow fell, and the Blue Devils rolled in the Golden Bears’ home opener. The senior heavy Ogdensburg squad gave Canton what will be one of their toughest tests of the season.
Ayrassian once again led the Bears on the offensive end. His experience at attack and ability to distribute the ball, as well as find his own scoring lanes, will be an asset to the Canton offense this season.
At the faceoff X, junior Austin Gregori found a way to make an impact, winning a faceoff and physically challenging an experienced Blue Devils faceoff game all day.
Senior Owen Kenna offered a valiant effort with the long pole, thwarting several Blue Devil scoring opportunities.
Friday, April 4 – Canton 10, Salmon River 8
The Golden Bears were back on the road to close out the week, and secured the first win of the season in the process.
Coach Meyers credited the Shamrocks for their shot blocking, adding that more than a dozen Canton shots were stopped before they made it on frame. Despite the physical sacrifices from the Shamrocks, Canton managed to score in double digits for the first time this season. Junior attackman Hayden Towle led the offense on the day, both by finding the back of the net and distributing quality opportunities to his fellow Bears.
Canton’s dominance at the faceoff X and in their own end of the field made a difference in this contest. Senior midfielder Daniel Creurer won 16 of his 18 faceoffs, setting Canton up for success with possession nearly every time he had the opportunity to do so.
Seymour also came through big for the Bears in this game, notching six takeaways and helping shut down a normally potent Salmon River offense.
Golden Bear goaltender Nate Berkman also played a critical role in stifling the Shamrocks. He tallied 13 saves in the contest.
Photos from the Salmon River game can be found here.