Rumson-Fair Haven boys lacrosse starts fast, wins third straight sectional championship (PHOTOS)
Competing in NJSIAA state sectional championship games has become the baseline for Rumson-Fair Haven's boys lacrosse program. Tuesday's game vs. Bernards marked the 10th straight year the Bulldogs played for a title, and it should come as no surprise they came out on top yet again.
Freshman attackman Luke Lydon scored three goals and assisted on another and senior attackman Cole Cashion sank three goals as the Bulldogs jumped on the Mountaineers early and delivered a 12-7 victory in the NJSIAA South Group 1 final on their home turf at Borden Stadium. Rumson built a 10-2 halftime lead and coasted to the program's third straight sectional title and sixth overall.
Rumson-Fair Haven will face Mountain Lakes in the Group 1 state championship game at 4 p.m. on Friday at Basilone Field in Bridgewater. The two teams met last season in the final NJSIAA Tournament of Champions with Mountain Lakes scoring a 21-5 victory. There will be no T.O.C. this season but New Jersey will still play down to one champion in the Kirst Cup, which starts next week following the state finals.
Goals by Cashion and junior midfielder Andy Croddick gave Rumson a 2-0 lead just over two minutes into the game and the Bulldogs kept the pressure on Bernards to open up a sizeable advantage. Junior midfielder Leo Passalaqua scored to make it 3-0 and Croddick and Lydon found the back of the net as Rumson built a 5-2 lead after the first quarter.
The second quarter was all Rumson with Cashion, Lydon, senior defenseman Luke Jamin, and sophomore attackman Grayson Goldin scoring goals to help push Rumson's lead to 10-2 at halftime. Cashion and Passalaqua added goals in the third quarter as the Bulldogs took a 12-4 lead into the final 12 minutes.
Junior FOGO Luke Marascio had another strong game winning 11 of 18 at the X and senior goalie Marshall Halfacre made eight saves to backstop the victory.
Charlie Hunnewell had two goals and two assists and Caden Kirst made 10 saves for Bernards. Logan Stevens scored twice, David Brothers had a goal and two assists, Finn Vaccaro had a goal and an assist, and Alex Vaccaro scored once.