MORGANTOWN — Nothing pumps up a team more than when their goalie makes a big save.
But as far as Morgantown boys lacrosse keeper Dylan Shinkovich is concerned, his job is just getting started, as his quick outlets and long, accurate clears helped jump-start the sluggish Mohigans offense last night against the Linsly School, sparking MHS to an impressive 19-7 victory in their final home game of the regular season.
Morgantown head coach Jeremy Bennett considers Shinkovich’s position “the toughest on the field, by far. If anything goes wrong and a shot gets by you, all the attention – all the blame – goes straight to that one guy. It’s not usually true, but that’s where the focus lands. So it takes a special kind of player to take on that responsibility and excel at the position, and Shink has done that for us for sure.”
Of course, there’s another aspect to playing between the pipes that should be mentioned.
It hurts.
Consisting of five solid ounces of dense rubber, a regulation lacrosse ball weighs only one ounce less than a hockey puck, and shots are hurled at speeds over 80 miles an hour. So it’s not surprising that Shinkovich explains (admits?) there is a significant “mental factor” to his game.
“I’ve been playing in net for a long time,” the senior joked, “and the varsity guys definitely shoot it a lot harder than they do in middle school. And I actually wear less padding than most of the position players on our team. For me, it’s just the helmet, gloves, and sweatpants. We are allowed to have shin guards and other pads, but they are just too bulky for me, too restrictive. I can’t move as well as I need to, so I don’t wear them.
“You have to just block it out of your mind, and concentrate on the shot,” he continued. “it always helps when the defense blocks shots – and after today’s game (the Mohigans were very active in blocking Linsly shot attempts) I told them I owed them a dinner. We all are locking into that ‘whatever it takes’ mindset that you need in the playoffs.”
Linsly (5-6) took an early lead, kept the score low (they trailed just 2-1 after the first quarter) with an excellent defensive effort of their own, and knotted the score at 3-3 midway through the second quarter before Morgantown (9-2) started to roll their transition game, turning a tight match into a dominating win. Following a big Shinkovich save, the big senior found an open middie near midfield, and his long, 40-yard pass connected perfectly in stride. A quick sprint and headman pass to long stick middie Xander Snider exposed the Cadets defense, and Snider found attack Luke Quigley alone in front, and he buried it over the shoulder to give the Mohigans a lead they would never relinquish. In quick succession, two more fast-break goals – all keyed by a save and long outlet pass – gave MHS a 6-3 cushion heading into the break.
In the second half, it was more of the same, as Morgantown continued to score both within their set offense and in transition, building to a 12-5 lead after three and finishing off the Cadets with seven more goals in the final quarter. Prolific senior attack Ayden Shepard potted six goals and dished four dimes, fellow senior attack Nathan Lindsey had 2 goals and two assists, junior Cooper Cox scored a hat trick, and sophomore Anthony Vessecchia scored four to lead the Mohigans.
“I definitely feel like we are playing well right now,” Bennett concluded after the win. “Of course there are always way to improve, but the effort and execution are there. And a big part of that is that we can be effective as a running team as well as in the possession game, and that all starts with a strong defense, and I like how that side of the field is playing as well.”
Shinkovich agrees, and he relishes the opportunity to make a difference on both ends of the scoreboard.
“There’s something demoralizing for your opponent about making a big save,” he explained, “and if you can quickly turn that missed chance into a quick chance to score on the other end, it really puts the other team on their heels even more. That’s why the guys run so hard after I make a save, and why we practice quick transitions so much. It’s like instant offense, and it’s what we need to do heading into tournament time, and I think we’re gearing up to make a solid run to win the state title. It sure would be a great way to finish our senior year, right?”
MHS seniors are: Spike Thompson, Slayton Spencer, Joseph Mathews, Ayden Shephard, Aidan Stire, Remi Hawkins, Jacob Hollander, Evan Burton, Cooper Cave, Nico Kourtsis, Nathan Lindsey, Connor Baldwin, and Dylan Shinkovich.
The Mohigans travel to George Washington Friday night.
