Lincoln-Sudbury Holds off Hingham in Coaches Challenge Cup Final

Warriors goalie Trevor Van Leer leads the postgame celebration after L-S wins a fourth straight Coaches Challenge Cup

By Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7)

DOVER, Mass. – Lincoln-Sudbury boys’ lacrosse has dominated in-state competition over the past three seasons on the way to consecutive Division 1 championships.

While the Warriors continued to run through all challengers during the 2017 season with a 12-7 victory over Hingham for a fourth consecutive Coaches Challenge Cup title on Saturday, they earned that victory through more grit than anything.

“I think we just beat the best team in the state,” Lincoln-Sudbury head coach Brian Vona said of Hingham.

“[Hingham] is loaded offensively, they are poised defensively and their faceoff guy is great. We feel really good about being able to win this game and the best part is that there was a lot of adversity. The last couple of years we’ve been smooth, but that’s not the case this year. We have to win tough and credit the players for being tough enough to earn this one.”

Lincoln-Sudbury (7-0) jumped out to a 5-0 lead through 18 minutes, but Hingham (6-1) battled back with two goals in a thirty second span to keep things close heading into the half.

Senior goalie Trevor Van Leer (14 saves) kept the Warriors in the game with nine first-half saves and then the rest of his class showed their pedigree with an outstanding offensive second half.

Jack Sutherland and Hayden Frey netted four goals apiece to lead L-S, but the signature play of the contest came from another senior in Brett Williams.

Williams battled two Hingham defenders on the sideline for a ground ball and after collecting it, threw an accurate no-look pass to a wide open Sutherland, who raced to the top of the key and threw a strike past Harbormen goalie Percy Harris (10 saves) to make it 10-4 Warriors early in the fourth quarter.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and that’s what seniors do,” said Brian Vona. “The moment is too big for young kids and I’m proud of the way my seniors stepped up.”

Hingham, the prohibitive favorites in Division 2 South this year, would not go quietly, as Jack Hennessey (two goals, assist) and Jake Quilty (two goals, assist) ripped off a couple of firecrackers to pull the Harbormen within three with four and a half minutes to play. 

But the Lincoln-Sudbury defense, led by long poles Dan Ryan, Peter Rizzotti and Ryan Donlan held strong while Williams (three goals, two assists) put the game well beyond reach with two late goals. 

With 11 of the Warriors 12 goals, Williams, Frey and Sutherland continued to impress as they have all season long. 

Brett Williams opens the scoring for L-S and its 1-0 Warriors mid Q1 @GlobeSchools @HerewegoJoe pic.twitter.com/pLp1GPbOxW

— Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7) April 22, 2017

And Jack Sutherland whips in a rocket to make it 2-0 L-S over Hingham mid Q1 pic.twitter.com/vtu28DtweR

— Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7) April 22, 2017

Broken play leads to a breakaway for Sutherland and he finishes. L-S 3, Hingham 0 late Q1 @HerewegoJoe @GlobeSchools pic.twitter.com/K3RgTy7xGW

— Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7) April 22, 2017

Nice save from Hingham goalie Perry Harris at point blank range. Harbor men trail L-S 5-2 late Q2 @HerewegoJoe pic.twitter.com/IgPshM5wbj

— Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7) April 22, 2017

Hayden Frey opens 2nd half scoring with a great wraparound goal. 6-2 L-S early Q3 @GlobeSchools @HerewegoJoe pic.twitter.com/8102HyBoOx

— Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7) April 22, 2017

Hennessey to O'Rourke for a man-up goal and Hingham now trails L-S 6-4 mid Q3 @GlobeSchools @HerewegoJoe pic.twitter.com/J2VqdfCtTw

— Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7) April 22, 2017

Frey with a hat trick on this great shot, as L-S responds with man-up score to make it 7-4 mid Q3 pic.twitter.com/3wtOa0DpIK

— Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7) April 22, 2017

This goal from Brett Williams is waived off due to a penalty. But Frey scores again to make it 8-4 L-S 2 min left Q3 pic.twitter.com/VJWTFDlkoa

— Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7) April 22, 2017

Van Leer w/13 saves as L-S leads 10-7 4 min remaining pic.twitter.com/yQL4FItsAg

— Nate Weitzer (@nweitzer7) April 22, 2017

“Jack’s been a shooter, Hayden’s been a playmaker and Brett’s just tough as nails,” effused Vona. “Those three guys are best friends and they’re like a tripod in how they compliment each other. They’ve been playing together for 10 years, so they always know where each other will be.”