"Senior Leadership" Helps Pace Academy Push Past Marist For 8-7 Win
On Tuesday, the Marist War Eagles boys lacrosse team hosted the Pace Academy Knights in a non-region matchup, yet both teams looking to gain some momentum to close out the regular season ahead of the Georgia High School Association boys lacrosse state championship tournament. While, Marist was coming off a 9-8 win over Woodward Academy, the Knights looked to end their three game losing streak and turn things around down the final stretch of games.
The War Eagles attack mode was successful early as they found themselves eventually with a three point lead in the first half, however Pace Academy, with senior leadership, would battle back to take an one point, 5-4 lead at the half. In the third quarter, the Knights looked to be in full control as a Tate O’Leary goal, assisted by Charlie Fleming, would give Pace their biggest lead of the knight as they would go up-6-4. Eventually, the War Eagles would battle back to tie the game once again at 6-6 thanks to a Joseph Pizzo goal, but another O’Leary goal would put the Knights back up by one as they led 7-6 heading into the fourth period of play.
Despite trailing at the start of the final period of play, the War Eagles continued to battle as Pizzo would once again tie the game 7-7, however minutes later, Fleming would take a shot straight down the center and score putting Pace back up by one as they would go on to pick up the 8-7 win. “Well, we have to take it off to Marist,” Pace Academy head coach, Chase Winter said following the Knights win over the War Eagles, who battled Pace until the final horn. “They’re a good team and they have some great players on their team,” Winter noted that the Knights did scout and felt they would have to “neutralize”.
Yet, Winter credited the Knights’ senior players for willing Pace to the victory on Tuesday. “It came down to the seniors, our senior leadership. When the going gets tough, they have to make plays. You give them the tools, and they got to perform so I was very happy for our seniors and what they did on the field today,” Winter said.
