The first quarter was back and forth but only Lake Highland really threatened.  They got on the board first with a goal by Conner Aniello, junior attackman.  Reid Thedford followed that up to give LHP a 2-0 advantage at the first break. The first several minutes of the second quarter was all LHP. Thedford and  Aniello each scored another going LHP a 4-0 lead.  Hagerty showed some life by coming back and making a nice play with Austin Mowell hitting Kevin Collins cutting across the top of the crease for a solid finish cutting the lead to three. But Max Parker won the ensuing face off and LHP controlled the ball.  Wolfson took the ball at the top and dodged down the right alley and scored with a blistering shot just under the crossbar.  Conner Knaresboro would come back for Hagerty with another nice play taking a pass from Jacob Collin as he cut across the middle to close it to 5-2. With just under a minute left in the first half Knaresboro scored again on a very similar play.  Lake Highland was also called for a late penalty on the play giving possession back to Hagerty with an EMO.  Hagerty would make them pay.  With one second left on the clock Corey Schulte hit Kevin Collin who buried it to bring the Huskies to within a single goal to finish the first half. Hagerty would not be able to score in the third quarter despite a two minute EMO opportunity.  The Highlanders controlled the ball for the first three minutes of the quarter and was able to get the ball moving well.  Lake Highland got goals from Jackson Colling, Reid Thedford, and Tiger Grahm in the third quarter.  Thedford scored on a nifty underhanded/backhand shot to give him a hat trick with twelve minutes left to play. After nearly four minutes of scoreless play to start the fourth Hagerty got a nice goal on a deliberate, long possession.  Chris Carpenter hit Christian O’Rourke who finished low and away.  But LHP would come right back with a Will Wolfson goal less than a minute later to keep the spread at four goals.    Lake Highland would add one more goal by Tiger Grahm with under three minutes left to play on a late EMO. Overall it was a very competitive clean game with few turnovers.  Neither team got the full blown transition going that I was expecting, but both teams played well.  If there was one big difference maker I would have to say it’s Lake Highlands middie defense. Some of my take aways from the game are; Max Parker gives LHP an obvious advantage with his control of the face off X but an overlooked advantage for LHP is the clearing of Adam Sawicki.  He is a clearing machine.  If you shut off his middies he uses  his feet.  If you play zone he makes pinpoint passes over your middies. Hagerty’s Kevin Collins is a serious shooter. Lake Highland has some long, tall, fast defenders that can pick up ground balls and run the transition hard.  Including Griff Caligiuri, Adam Strobel, and Jacob Brantley-Head.  These guys have serious range and speed. Hagerty’s Tanner Ward just might be Central Florida’s next great goalie.  He is only a sophomore and makes big time saves and good decisions for such a young player. Put Hagerty’s Granite Porcher on your young guns watch list.  He is fast and should mature into a very good player.