Eagles 'Bring It,' Best Old Mill, 9-8

By Colin Murphy

A goal by Northeast senior midfielder Brendon Lee with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter gave the Eagles a 9-8 victory over the Patriots of Old Mill in a hotly contested, see-saw battle at Old Mill High School on May 3. The victory gave the Eagles a signature win in showcasing the program’s dramatic improvement this spring.

“From the first practice of the year to practice yesterday, they’ve been gaining confidence,” said first-year Head Coach Kevin Rutledge of his players. “They bring everything they have every day.”

And bring it they did on the turf at Old Mill on this day. Lee opened the afternoon’s scoring by hauling in a rebound off a missed shot for a quick-stick put-back goal to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead just two minutes in. A goal by senior Patrick Fogarty was followed less than a minute later by a score from junior Brock Lawhorn, putting the Eagles up 3-0. Old Mill spent the rest of the first quarter getting repeatedly stonewalled by Northeast sophomore goalie Mike Reigle, who had an outstanding game in the net, recording 10 saves in all.

“We played really good on defense,” said Reigle after the match, “and then our offense stepped it up. I’m proud of my team.”

A seemingly impossible point-blank save by Reigle late in the first quarter led to a fast break score by Fogarty, who led all scorers on the afternoon with three goals, and the Eagles were in front 4-0 after one period.

The roles were reversed in the second quarter, however, as Old Mill got on the board four minutes in, then followed up their first goal by scoring seconds after the ensuing face-off to close the gap to 4-2. Another goal, just moments later, cut the score to 4-3 at halftime.

“We came out strong, on a good note,” said Lee of his team’s performance. “We slacked off a little bit, then caught ourselves back up and did what we had to and got the job done.”

The second half saw the Eagles fend off a scrappy Old Mill squad amidst increasingly chippy ground play. Northeast sophomore midfielder Jake Hesse scored off and assist from Lawhorn early in the third to push the Eagle’s lead to 5-3. Goals by sophomore Joey Eisenacher and Lee kept pace with Old Mill’s comeback efforts, and Northeast led 7-6 after three quarters.

Fiery play with several monstrous body checks and slashes from both sides characterized an incredibly hard-fought fourth quarter. A goal by Eisenacher two minutes in gave Northeast a two-goal cushion at 8-6. Having never led in the game, Old Mill managed two goals over the next seven minutes to tie the contest, 8-8, with just three minutes remaining. With the game tied for the first time since the opening faceoff, Lee book-ended his opening score with the game-winner off a fantastic individual effort, squashing the Patriots’ comeback attempt and sending the Eagles home with a hard fought 9-8 victory.

“We’re very confident,” said Lee after the match, “and we’re going to go as far as we can in the playoffs.”

Fogarty agreed, noting his team has grown closer as the season has progressed. “We mesh real well,” said Fogarty. “From the way we started to the way we are now, the chemistry has really come together.”

While praising the effort and commitment of his entire team, Coach Rutledge emphasized the impact his seniors have had this year. “It really came down to our senior leadership [today]. Day in, day out, they are there leading my team. I can’t ask for better seniors.”

Asked about the team’s chances heading into the playoffs, Coach Rutledge did not hesitate: “I have a great group of kids, we’re learning, we’re getting better, and come playoff time, we’re going to be ready."

To see the full photo gallery of this game, click here.