La Salle Wins First-Ever Boys' Lacrosse Title, knocks off Moses Brown, 9-7
By: William Dayton, GAME ON Contributor
La Salle Wins First-Ever Boys' Lacrosse Title, knocks off Moses Brown, 9-7
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Steve O’Donnell’s career is now complete. He’s coached All-State players, All-Americans, gone through unbeaten regular seasons, and reached the championship game.
He’s been a Rhode Island lacrosse authority, coaching summer leagues and fall leagues and preparing players for college.
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But despite a 44-3 record and three appearances in the championship game since 2008, O’Donnell’s La Salle team had never won the final game of the season.
Until now.
Peter DeSimone scored 3 goals and 2 assists, and Brady O’Donnell tallied 3 and added 1 helper, and LaSalle completed an undefeated season (15-0) by holding off Moses Brown, 9-7.
“We’re not the Buffalo Bills anymore,” O’Donnell said.
“I can’t say enough about how proud I am of every single kid on this team. You know, sometimes you don’t win with your best team, but you win with the guys who come together most as a team. And that’s what we did. It’s incredible.”
“It’s incredible to finally win it,” sophomore and tournament Most Outstanding Player Peter DeSimone said. “It was a complete team effort for us. Coach told me before the semifinals that if we were going to win the championship, I was going to have to be the MVP. So I knew I had to step up, and I did.”
The Rams used three man-advantage goals to erase a 5-3 second-quarter deficit and tie the game at 6 at the half.
La Salle took a 7-6 lead in the third on a man-up goal by Peter DeSimone.
James McCann answered with a wrister from the left side to bring Moses Brown to within 8-7 with 9:00 remaining.
But La Salle controlled the final stretch of the game, keeping the ball in their end and then taking a 9-7 lead on a rocket from the right side by Brady O’Donnell with 2:16 to play.
“With a one-goal lead and under two minutes to play, you don’t shoot the ball,” O’Donnell said. “So it was one of those things where I was saying, ‘Don’t shoot…don’t shoot…. great shot! I couldn’t believe it went in.”
Brady laughed when he heard of his father’s reaction. “I just felt it,” he explained. “I knew I had [goalkeeper Jackson Szurley] beat, so I just let it go.”
O’Donnell ran towards the stands and pointed to his brothers Cody and Chris, who had each starred at La Salle but had never won a championship.
“This gives Brady a little bit of bragging rights,” Steve O’Donnell said.
“This is for my brothers. This is for my team,” he said. “I knew I had to step up, and I was able to. I love my team. I love my brothers… I love my father… I love my mother…I love everyone. This wasn’t the best skilled team we’ve had but we came together best.”