Last week we wrote about the Pine Crest-Ransom game and noted that sometimes high school sports gives you a real learning lesson and how you respond shows a lot.  Before last night’s game PC coach George Harris mentioned a few of his starters were out and that it would be a good test to see if his younger kids could step up and show their mettle.  On the opposite side of the field SJP coach Andy Bolger was coming off a one-goal win over district rival West Boca that clinched a district playoff slot for them in face of a struggling season record, chock full of tough opponents.  It made for an interesting combination of possibilities going in. Would PC’s kids step up to the challenge or would SJP’s kids be able to make a statement and take down a Top 20 team?  5 of SJP’s 7 losses were to Top 10 teams in the latest poll and since they are in the Saint Andrew’s district it looked like they would be trying to finish the regular season on a winning streak, since the rest of the games are at home.  It will be almost herculean to fathom a district upset this season so SJP is playing for that possible winning record, which would be a fine result given their 0-5 (and 2-7) start to the season.  Pine Crest’s schedule is a little weaker this year and late in a season that disparity can sometimes show when least expected. And last night it did show in a big way. PC’s kids struggled in their lead roles and SJP probably played their best game of the year and when it was all said and done the Eagles were able to take advantage big time in the second quarter, going on a 7-goal run to go out in front 10-4 at the half and PC never mounted any challenge in the second half.  SJP’s offense was spread out, with eight different goal scorers chipping in.  PC pretty much struggled in all parts of the game and just never seemed to gain any spark all game. Sometimes it’s just that simple.  A team with something to prove against a team that looked like it just didn’t have it all game.  Throw in a goalie that made 7 saves in the third when PC played their most intense lacrosse and that was the ball game. And we again get to witness why high school sports can be so hard to predict.   The teams traded goals in the first period and it ended tied at 3.  PC opened the scoring at 9:48 as Jeremy Oletsky took a right wing feed from David Tescher near the left crease and he finished all alone between goalie Stephen Brower’s legs to open the scoring.  45 seconds later Ryan McMahon equaled it up with a left wing shot.  at 6:19 Tescher scored unassisted as he backed in up top and dodged to the middle after faking a shot, hitting the top left corner.  Slightly over a minute later Jared Chaloux found McMahon on the left wing from up top and his step down went low for 2-2.  At 3:25 Tescher found Oletsky all alone in front from left GLE and PC again had the lead but with 1:18 left Chaloux took Chris Castellon’s left wing up top and his shot found the low left corner to again tie it up. The second period started with a stick check penalty on PC and SJP took advantage of it to score three EMO goals in the first two minutes of play.  Patrick Brower took a feed from Nick Caputo up top and his step down found the low left at 11:15.  At 10:34 it was 5-3 as Castellon darted in from the left low wing and finished low and just 15 seconds later it was 6-3 as Chaloux fired from the right wing into the top right corner.  At 8:23 Reegan Leen scooped up a loose ball off a rebound in front and shoveled it in for 7-3.  11 seconds later Brower and Castellon teamed up on the left wing and Brower went low for 8-3.  SJP took advantage of another EMO at 4:24 for 9-3 Castellon took Brower’s left wing feed for the low shot and on the ensuing faceoff Timmy D’Antuono finished Zony Liguori’s middle pass for 10-3.  PC got one back as Chris Dunne face dodged the right wing and went between the legs at 1:40 to close out the half. D’Antuono scored three consecutive goals in the third to lengthen out the lead.  The first at 8:48 with a rebound in front, the second at 8:00 off a feed from Brower in the middle and at 6:32 off a Castellon feed from the left wing.  Dunne and #12 (sorry, no name) teamed up at 1:18 to make it 13-5 after three and in the fourth McMahon and Chaloux added EMO goals, with Chaloux’s coming from a McMahon feed to make the final 15-5. Not the most scintillating game but another reminder that you just never really know what you are going to get beforehand. SJP II is back in action tonight as they face an interesting test with northern program Nease, coming off two close losses to Jupiter and Creekside, in what should be an intiguing matchup of teams that don’t see each other normally.  Pine Crest is back in action Tuesday, traveling to University School.   Team Statistics   Faceoffs:  SJP 12-10 Shots:  SJP  35-28 Shots on Goal:  SJP  19-16 Turnovers:  SJP 21-20 Penalties:  PC 7-4   Individual Statistics   SJP Timmy D’Antuono  4G Ryan McMahon and Jared Chaloux  3G/1A each Chris Castellon  2G/3A Patrick Brower  2G/2A Reegan Leen  1G Nick Caputo and Zony Liguori  1A each Both goalies played and combined for 11 saves, with Stephen Brower making 10 of the saves   PC Jeremy Oletsky and Chris Dunne  2G each David Tescher  1G/2A #12  1A Both goalies played and combined for 4 saves   Thanks to Coach Bolger and Coach Harris for talking to me before and after the game.