BRADY ZDANOWICZ controlled the game by dominating the faceoff X yesterday in Wakefield’s 16-5 win over Bedford. The sophomore also added 3 assists in the victory. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
BEDFORD — A 6-3 lead at halftime wasn’t good enough for a Wakefield High boys’ lacrosse team looking to make a statement in the Middlesex League this season.
The Warriors were doing enough to win through the first two quarters in Bedford yesterday, it’s just that they had another level to reach.
A 4-0 first quarter lead, thanks to 4 goals from Seamus Cable, evaporated in the 2nd quarter with the Buccaneers soon making it a tense, 4-3 contest with 6:07 to play until the break.
Wakefield responded with two unanswered goals to end the half. It was the start of a 10-0 run that would carry into a dominant third quarter as the Warriors ran away with a 16-5 win, improving to 4-2 on the season.
Cable scored 5 of his 6 goals in the first half.
Brady Walsh also had 6 goals along with one assist.
Brady Zdanowicz had 3 assists and dominated on faceoffs to give the visitors a huge advantage all day.
Nick Metsis had a goal and 2 assists, Reid Festel had a goal and an assist and the Warriors got single tallies from John Taylor and Kyle Clair.
Jaden Fullerton finished with 10 saves. The freshman goalie and the Wakefield defense shut out the Buccaneers in the third quarter. Bedford went without a goal from 6 minutes left in the 2nd quarter to 6 minutes left in the 4th quarter as the Warriors imposed their will in all facets of the game.
Cable set the tone with his 4 goals in the first. He had multiple, top-shelf rips from distance that got his teammates invested in the game early. His 3rd came after some good ball movement. Festel picked up a groundball and found Walsh who gave it to Zdanowicz. A dish to Cable up top resulted in another lefty laser for a 3-0 lead. His fourth featured a nice scoring touch on a cut to the crease, getting it over the goalie on a lob.
Fullerton had a strong stop on a Bedford transition chance and the Warriors rolled into the 2nd up 4-0.
The Buccaneers bounced back during an uninspiring 2nd quarter for the Warriors.
To Wakefield’s credit, they delivered after Bedford made it 4-3. The visitors responded well after a timeout and adjustments from first-year head coach Andy Wells, who challenged his team to play their game.
Wakefield accepted that challenge as Walsh got his first on an impressive groundball scoop and score all in one motion to make it 5-3 and later with a man-advantage, Cable finished after some more terrific passing to make it 6-3 at the half.
The second half started with back-to-back quality saves by Fullerton, the second on a fastball that looked destined for the top-right corner before the freshman squared it up.
Walsh capitalized on this momentum, carrying around the Bedford goal and burying one on a no-look backhand.
Zdanowicz won again on the ensuing faceoff and dropped it off to Festel for an 8-3 lead.
The defense refused to give the Buccaneers any good looks after that. Freshman Josh Whitman was especially locked in, his first of multiple pass breakups in the quarter getting the Warrior bench going. Whitman, JP Casey, Ryan Metsis, Joe Skowron and Zachary Courtright played well as a unit to kill a Bedford man up late in the quarter and Walsh finished the frame in style, dodging to the Bedford goal and scoring through an illegal check from the back to make it 11-3 after three.
Walsh had two more to start the 4th before Wakefield’s 10-0 run was finally stopped, but of course, the damage was done.
The Warriors will get back to league play on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. when they host rival Melrose for a huge matchup at Landrigan Field.
