The 2021 Columbia boys lacrosse team is looking forward to another good year, improving on last year’s 10-11 record. Under the leadership of Dylan Heningburg, a CHS alum and an assistant coach in 2017 and 2018 who took over as the head coach in 2019, the team is building on its quality 2020 campaign. Terrell Boccia is coaching at the faceoff X, and Orterro Felton, also a CHS graduate, is coaching on the JV level, with returning coach John Trieu assisting with the defense. Cassius Christie returns to coach the Cougar defense.
Going into this season, the Cougars have matured and are being led by the upper classmen, though the Class of 2024 players are also key contributors. The varsity team features four sophomores and for the first time in recent history, no freshmen. Led by captains RJ Benn (Attack), Walter Rae (Defense/LSM), Lachlan Campbell (Midfield), and Aidan Kemp (Midfield), the leaders have taken the younger players under their wings and have helped prepare them for a successful season.
Senior Captain Aidan Kemp attacks goal.
Following the seniors’ lead, the Cougars hit the field, weight room and wall hard in the off-season. The team has adopted a new motto, “One more” – one more rep, one more sprint, one more workout, one more minute of film, one more goal, one more takeaway, one more wall ball rep. Coach Heninburg has seen “one more” paying dividends and says, “These guys have worked hard in the off-season and I think they’re already several weeks ahead of where they were at this time last year.”
Sophomores will all contribute on the varsity level in big ways, all on the defensive side of the ball. Henry Aaron (Defensive Midfield), Max Gigante (FOGO/Defensive Midfield) and Ethan Parlin (Defense/LSM) all saw quality minutes last year on varsity as freshman, especially towards the end of the season. Talented sophomore Declan Cavanaugh (Defense/LSM) and Brohdi Banjo (Defensive Midfield) will join the other sophomores under the command of Heningburg and returning defensive coach Christie. Christie also works with All-American junior goalie Sam Busch, the heart and soul of the Cougars defense.
The Cougars started the season on the right note, taking down Cedar Grove 10-4 in their first game. Junior attackman Cole Abel had two goals as well as two assists in that game. Junior offensive midfielder Jonah Wolpov contributed two more for the Cougars. Captains Campbell and Benn each chipped in with two goals as well.
Attackman Shane Knezovic had one goal and with three assists and junior Sumner Verdun added one for the Cougars, to round out the scoring.
Sophomore Max Gigante dominated at the faceoff X and with the help of his wing play in LSM Dylan Pillsbury-Clark, Campbell, Aaron and Parlin dominated the Cedar Grove faceoff unit, controlling 17 out of 18 faceoffs. Busch held it down on the defensive end, making 14 saves.
The Cougars then moved to 2-0, taking down the Falcons of St. Joe’s Metuchen 10-9 in a game that made a few more gray hairs visible on the heads of Cougar supporters.
Gigante again exposed the opposition’s faceoff unit, making light work of any opponent that tried to slow him down, and added a goal for the Cougars.
The Cougars roared out of the gates, jumping out to a 7-2 lead at the half. Some costly mistakes were made by the Cougars that let St. Joe’s back in the game. Multiple penalties and costly turnovers in dangerous spots caught up to the Cougars and with about 2 minutes left in the game, the Cougars found themselves only up by 2, with St. Joe’s taking full advantage of the momentum they had created. With a minute left, the Cougar lead had shrunk to a single goal. With the ball at the faceoff X, Gigante secured the ball but then threw an errant pass, and the Cougars, unable to control the ground ball, surrendered the possession to St. Joe’s. In the final seconds of the game, St. Joe’s got a shot on goal, but Busch proved to be clutch with a beautiful save, his 15th of the game. Busch’s save suffocated St. Joe’s last glimmer of hope and he heaved the ball downfield as the clock hit triple zero.
The Cougars 10 goals were well distributed – Knezovic had 2, Kemp added 1 assisted by Benn, Benn had a hat trick (3), 1 assisted by Kemp, Verdun had 1, Gigante contributed with 1 and Abel had 2, one assisted by Aaron.
The Cougar early season stampede continued as they trounced AL Johnson High School by a score of 14-3 at Underhill. Eager to play in front of friends and family for the first time at home, the Cougars came out firing on all cylinders, scoring 4 goals in the first period. Knezovic got the scoring started just over three minutes into the game, Campbell followed just two minutes later, both assisted by Benn. Kemp had an unassisted goal and then Campbell connected with the back of the net again. The Cougars defense didn’t even allow AL Johnson to look at the net, much less shoot, holding them scoreless in the first.
The Cougars didn’t slow down in the second quarter, putting in five more goals in the second quarter. Abel got it started, then Kemp, then Verdun then Abel again and then another one from Verdun on a man-up play. The Cougars went into the half confident leading by a score of 10-2.
In the third, Campbell netted his third goal securing the hat trick as the lone goal in the quarter, sending Columbia into the fourth with a sizable 11-2 lead. AL Johnson’s Tyra scored to get the quarter started, assisted by Jack Bencivegna, and then the Cougars had seen enough. The Cougars effortlessly added four more goals, two from Benn, one from Knezovic, and one from Abel, making the final score 14-3. Busch had 8 saves for the Cougars and Gigante went 12 for 21 on faceoffs.
But perhaps the Cougars’ best and most spirited performance this season was a loss this past Saturday to Wall High School, ranked #13 in the state. Facing a highly-touted Wall squad at Wall, the Cougars knew they had their work cut out for them. Wall came out gunning and scored on their opening possession and proceeded to take a 4-1 lead in the first half of play, but a confident and resolute Cougar team kept their composure throughout the game and closed the gap. Trailing the entire game but always keeping it within a couple of scores in the second half, Columbia tied the score 6-6 with five minutes left in the half. With both teams unable to score in the closing minutes, the game went into overtime. Regrettably, Wall’s talented offense was able to get off a good shot that found the back of the goal early into overtime and Wall claimed a narrow 7-6 victory.
The Cougars look forward to welcoming the Summit Hilltoppers to Underhill Field this Monday, April 11 at 4pm.
Senior Captain Walter Rae holds down the Cougar defense.
