Butler stonewalls Foxes
BUTLER TWP — Trevor Monteleone had no shortage of confidence in his second-year starting goalie entering Thursday night's boys lacrosse game against Fox Chapel.
But Jake Cuny took his game to another level.
The senior stopped 15 shots, many of them from point-blank range, as Butler got up early on the Foxes and held on for a 5-4 victory at Art Bernardi Stadium.
“He's a leader and he kept us in the game tonight,” Monteleone said of Cuny. “This was the best game he's played.”
Cuny played his best in the third quarter. His teammate, Matthew Barber, tallied Butler's only goal not scored in the first quarter when he scored with 7:11 remaining in the period to give Butler a 5-2 lead.
Cuny did his part to maintain that advantage, denying the Foxes six times in the quarter.
“When a guy is between six and 10 yards out, that's when you can begin to read the ball and where it's going,” said Cuny. “You have to match any motion he makes because at that point, he's in control.
“Our defense has done a great job of letting me see shots.”
Before the Golden Tornado (9-5, 4-3) could claim the win, they had to withstand a late rush from the Foxes.
Braley Root scored with 1:50 left in the game to cut Butler's lead to 5-3. Zack Yonas then scored with just 54 seconds left to make it a one-goal game.
Butler senior Nolan Allison then won a crucial faceoff and the Golden Tornado were able to take 48 seconds off the clock. Fox Chapel finally forced a turnover with six seconds left, at which point the Foxes (10-3, 4-3) called a timeout.
They got one final shot off from 30 yards, but it sailed wide and the Tornado celebrated a crucial Section 2 victory.
Both teams had already clinched a berth into the upcoming WPIAL playoffs.
“This game was about seeding and is the biggest win of the season for us,” said Monteleone. “Now we get the fourth seed and a home playoff game if we beat Seneca Valley (Tuesday).”
Butler played with more energy in the opening period and it yielded a 4-0 lead.The Tornado killed a one-minute penalty early, during which Cuny made his first impressive save, and the focus then turned to Butler's offense.Dominik Fudoli scored with 5:33 left in the first quarter before Connor Bachman scored three times in a four-and-a-half minute span.Fox Chapel fought back with two goals from Yonas in the second period and Butler's lead stood at 4-2 at the break.“We came out on fire, then got complacent in the second quarter,” Monteleone said. “We regrouped at halftime.”How deep Butler is able to go in the postseason will depend largely on Cuny's play. Monteleone is comfortable with that.“As the season goes on, he becomes a stud,” he said.“Physically, I'm more in shape than I was at this time last year,” said Cuny. “Mentally, I know that I'm going to let goals in here and there. It's going to happen. I just have to deal with it and move on.”
