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The Rockbridge County High School boys lacrosse team suffered a sting in the tail on Thursday, as Jefferson Forest came from behind to claim a nailbiting 8-7 win in Lexington.
Dany Nguyen’s man-up goal from a Chase Ripley assist with 2:00 remaining in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference for the Cavaliers (5-5), who overcame a 6-4 deficit in the final six minutes to stun the Wildcats (3-4).
Andrew Kelly tallied a game-high five points on two goals and three assists for RC, and the freshman midfielder also won 11-of-18 faceoffs. Alex Nye bagged a hat trick for the Wildcats, and Jack Jensen made 10 saves.
Spencer Sloan recorded two goals and one assist for JF, while Nguyen and Easton Tanner chipped in two goals apiece and Ethan Cook totaled 12 saves.
Even though the Wildcats had the lead in the closing stages of the game, RC head coach Robert Hull believed that his team struggled to produce against a veteran Cavalier defense.
“The ball didn’t bounce our way tonight. Our offense was stagnant; we didn’t quite move the ball the way we’ve been practicing,” Hull said. “Their defense was their most seasoned part of their team. They kind of handled a lot of our guys on the attacking end.”
Neither squad led by more than a single goal across the first three quarters of a back-and-forth matchup. The teams traded scores throughout the first half, with Nye securing all three Wildcat goals and Sloan notching a pair for JF as the halftime tally was deadlocked at 3-3.
Without much offensive rhythm early on, RC was able to lean on its sophomore attackman.
“I think Alex had one of his best shooting nights,” Hull said. “A lot of his offense came sort of out of mayhem, where we weren’t necessarily in an offensive set. He sometimes can be a really good creator.”
Kelly gave the Wildcats a 4-3 lead midway through the third quarter, but Nguyen would answer on the man advantage with 36 seconds remaining in the frame. The teams headed into the final period even at 4-4.
John Brooke’s extra-man marker and Kelly’s goal from a Brooke assist put RC ahead 6-4 with 8:40 to go. Trent Ripley started the Cavaliers’ rally at the 5:51 mark, and Thax Rowland knotted the score at 6-6 with 4:13 to go.
The Wildcats were called for a penalty after the game-tying marker, but Kelly won a clean faceoff and fed Jayden Layman for a man-down goal that gave RC a 7-6 lead at the 4:03 mark. Tanner pulled JF even again with 3:13 left, and Nguyen put the Cavaliers in front for good with 120 seconds to play.
RC had several chances down the stretch, including a crease-roll look for Nye with 15 seconds left. But his shot bounced off the body of Cook, and JF was able to run out the clock.
“Everybody out here probably knew that No. 14 was going to get the ball – including every last guy on their team,” said Hull, who had called a timeout with 28 seconds left to draw up the play for Nye. “We didn’t have a ton of time. By the time you run that motion, it’s hit or miss.”
The loss was particularly disappointing for the Wildcats, considering their recent run of form. RC had blown out Christiansburg and Charlottesville on the road in late March before dropping an 8-6 home decision to a strong Salem team last week.
With a packed schedule ahead of them, the Wildcats will quickly need to shake off Thursday’s result.
“We’ve got three games next week, so we’ve got to have a gnat’s memory on this, and be right back at it,” Hull said.
RC was slated to travel to Patrick Henry on Monday. The Wildcats will visit William Byrd at 7:15 tonight, Wednesday, and they return home to take on Christiansburg for a varsity contest at 6 p.m. on Thursday. The Wildcats will start the month of May at home against Franklin County on Monday, with the junior varsity game scheduled for 5:30 p.m., followed by the varsity contest at 7:15.
