By DAVE O’SULLIVAN
Staff Writer
On X @GDsullysays
RICHLAND — Players and coaches on the St. Augustine Prep lacrosse team were smart enough to know on Friday afternoon that just because junior Sebastian Varallo scored eight seconds into the game, the Hermits’ matchup with Ocean City was going to be anything but a cake walk.
These two teams go at it every year, and the Hermits were well aware of the Red Raiders’ capabilities, so it was no surprise that Ocean City got to within 5-3 early in the third quarter. But Prep hasn’t become one of the best boys lacrosse programs in the state by wilting under pressure.
The Hermits showed just how good they are as they ripped off six goals in the final quarter-and-a-half to blow the game open and win, 11-4. The victory kept the Hermits — one of just two independent teams in the state — undefeated at 4-0. Prep has scored wins over Penn Charter (Pa.), Christian Brothers Academy and Notre Dame already in what is one of the toughest schedules of any team in the state.
“I think the hardest part is everyone we play from South Jersey is hungry and wants to beat us. We have to know that we have a lot of teams looking at us like we’re one of the top teams in the state and they want to take us down. That’s one thing we recognize and take to heart, that we have to play well every single game,” said junior captain Ryan Wodazak, an Egg Harbor Township resident who scored a pair of goals and now has eight on the season. “From the past years we’ve played them, I told our guys that they were going to be tough, that they were going to be one of the hardest teams we play and we were going to have to play our game. That’s what we did, we beat them by seven, so I think we did a good job of that.”
“I wasn’t really happy with my performance, but my teammates had my back,” added Varallo, a Swedesboro native who finished with two goals and an assist. “We know every team is going to give their best to us. We have to know that, and we have to be ready for Mainland on Thursday.”
“Ocean City is a tough program, they always have been,” said Prep coach J.C. Valore, who’s been coaching the Hermits for two decades. “I don’t think they just give us our best, they consistently give their best every time they step onto the field with anyone, and we knew that was to be expected. They were athletic and when they had the ball they got good looks. We just managed to control the middle of the field a little bit and get some possessions.”
The Hermits looked as though they were on their way to a rout early on, as they scored three straight goals in less than five minutes. But Ocean City got on the board midway through the first quarter on a goal by Dominic Vallese, then cut the deficit to 3-2 with less than a minute to go in the first when Nolan O’Kane scored on a nifty jump shot in front of the net. Prep answered with 12 seconds to go in the period on a tally by Reid Weishaar, and pushed its lead to 5-2 early in the second when Brayson Thurber worked around from behind the net to score.
Ocean City (2-1, 1-0 Cape-Atlantic League American) closed the gap to 5-3 when Anthony Pontari scored just 34 seconds into the third quarter, but any thoughts of a comeback were quickly shut down by the Hermits (4-0), who scored three straight goals to take a commanding 8-3 lead with 10 minutes to go.
“We always know a South Jersey matchup is going to be hard, but we’re coming in trying to beat everyone this year. We want to go for the (state championship) and want to play every game to the best of our ability,” said senior midfielder Justin Marengo, of Bellmawr. “(Defensively) we just tried to not think about one kid, we just tried to play as one unit, and when we play as a unit we shut everyone down. No one is going to break the unit.”
The big key for the Hermits was their ability to win faceoffs and keep possession, not allowing the Raiders to get any kind of momentum going offensively.
“To score, you have to have the ball, right? So we knew we had to hold it and wait for the best shot and not rush anything,” Varallo said. “We did that well toward the end of the game and were able to capitalize. We got a little nervous, a little rattled, when we saw the score (at 5-3), but toward the end we talked to each other and were ready to capitalize.”
Valore said he’s been stressing to his players that every game the Hermits play is going to be a big game for the opposition, and they need to come in focused every time they put that Game Day jersey on.
“We can talk about (how tough our schedule is) and we continually remind the guys. I don’t think they come in not ready to go, but there is a tempo that they have to understand is going to be the norm,” he said. “Some days your guys just don’t have juice. As a coach, I’ve struggled to learn that, but I’m getting it after 20-plus years now. I wouldn’t say we didn’t have juice, we just didn’t execute the way we would have loved to today. We’re going to see everybody’s best, and we want everybody to see our best — and that’s where we have to get to be.
“The past three games, in different forms and fashions, we’ve seen a challenge that has challenged us and put us in a position of — I wouldn’t all it ultimate adversity — but it’s an opportunity for us to understand the moment and try to grow.”
WHAT’S NEXT: St. Augustine Prep hosts Mainland Regional on Thursday at 4 p.m. Ocean City travels to Shawnee on Monday at 4 p.m.
