Last season, DeMatha finished 7-11, which was tied for their worse record under Head Coach Scott Morrison.
The Stags turned things around this year by going 10-9, and earning a spot in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship against their long time foe Gonzaga.
DeMatha didn’t have the best start to the 2016 campaign. The Stags won the first game of the season against Archbishop Spalding, but dropped the next four games. DeMatha picked things up by winning four of its last six games.
The Stags are now winners of their last four matchups. DeMatha knocked off Paul VI (VA) 11-10 in the quarterfinals. The game was delayed by rain, but that didn’t keep DeMatha out of rhythm. Senior Quint Burroughs nailed a goal in the final minutes that proved to be the game winner. The Stags went on to the semifinals where they beat St. John’s 9-1 for the second time this season.
DeMatha lost to Gonzaga 11-7 in its first meeting. The Stags will be looking to get their revenge, but it won’t be easy. Gonzaga has been one of the top teams in the area and in the nation. They will go into Monday night’s game with a 17-2 record and ranked the No. 3 team in the country by USA Today.
Gonzaga, who are winners of 10 WCAC championships have dominated the postseason. The Purple Eagles beat Bishop Ireton (VA) 16-3 in the quarterfinals then took down St. Mary’s Ryken, 19-6 in the semifinals on May 4.
Gonzaga is known for scoring a lot of goals. The Purple Eagles have scored in double figures in all their games except the games where they lost. Senior Jack Meyers leads the team in goals with 47, while Avery Meyers is second with 46. Goalie George Christopher has 139 saves, which is good for sixth in the area.
The two rivals will play against each other on May 5 at the University of Maryland. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Good Counsel makes its 13th WCAC Championship appearance
The WCAC girls’ lacrosse championship will be a battle between two of the top teams in the country. Good Counsel (MD) is ranked No. 3 and Bishop Ireton is the No. 10 girls’ lacrosse team in America, according to USA Today.
Good Counsel has posted a 18-2 record (9-0 in the WCAC). The Falcons started things off by winning the first eight games. The Falcons suffered their first loss against Roland Park, but answered back with a six game win streak. Good Counsel carried its success on field into the playoffs. The Falcons beat Elizabeth Seton (MD), 21-5 in the quarterfinals on May 3. Two days later, Good Counsel knocked off Paul VI, 20-12 in the semifinals.
Bishop Ireton is the second best team in the conference. The Cardinals have a 17-3 overall (9-1, WCAC). Ireton beat Bishop O’Connell 20-5 in the WCAC quarterfinals and Holy Cross 11-7 in the semifinals.
Good Counsel edged out Bishop Ireton 9-7 in its matchup during the regular season on Apr. 8. It will be interesting to see how things play out in the championship game on May 5 at Maryland. The game will start at 5:00 p.m.
Inside The Locker Room 