BY GENE NARDI
The Wellington High School boys lacrosse squad traveled to take on host Palm Beach Central High School in the annual Rivals Outback Cup game on Friday, March 11. The cup will remain at Wellington High School another year, after the Wolverines won 12-11 in overtime.
Wellington won the cup by one goal last year, 9-8. The four-time district champions did not find it easy against a relentless, never-say-die Bronco squad. The lead changed sides twice during regulation play.
Felipe Caro and Logan Rogers quickly put the Wolverines (6-7) up with a 2-0 lead. Wellington held on to a tight 3-2 lead going into the second period. Austin Cavallo and Matt Liermann kept the Broncos within a goal by each contributing scores.
Both teams peppered shots at the net, but it was Wellington that maintained a 5-2 lead midway through the second period. The Broncos then rallied with four unanswered goals and took their first lead of the game, 6-5. Four different players scored in the second period for the Broncos: Liermann, Cavallo, Tyler Tomasson and Kevin Hagerty.
With two minutes left in the first half, Caro drove one into the net off a pass from Tyler Etten to tie the game at 6-6. Neither team could grab the lead before the whistle.
The second half did not disappoint, as both teams continued with strong offensive play. Wellington quickly reclaimed the lead 7-6 with a goal from Brendon Fonts. Both the Wolverines and the Broncos went goal-for-goal, but Wellington grasped to a one-goal lead 8-7. With only 10 seconds left to play in the third period, Rogers came up big to extend the Wolverine lead to 9-7.
Palm Beach Central struck just minutes into the fourth period. Anthony Ierulli cut into the margin with his goal to bring the score to 9-8. Wellington drove in two more goals, and it appeared that the team would coast to victory with an 11-8 lead, but the Broncos would not let go.
Palm Beach Central cut through the Wolverine defense like a hot knife through butter and sunk in three unanswered goals, with the most crucial coming from Thomasson. With 11 seconds remaining, he launched a missile from about 24 yards out that scorched the back of the net to tie the game 11-11. The score sent the game into overtime.
In traditional dramatic fashion, minutes into the overtime period, Caro drove in the winning goal to give the Wolverines the 12-11 victory and their second-consecutive Rivals Outback Cup win. Caro had four goals for the Wolverines, and Cavallo also had four goals for the Broncos.
Palm Beach Central played Boca Raton High School and Wellington had games against Cardinal Newman and Ponte Vedra high schools this week, but results were not available by press time.
ABOVE: The Wellington High School lacrosse team celebrates with the Rivals Outback Cup trophy.
