Resilient Gilman tops Boys’ Latin for first A Conference win; Calvert Hall and Loyola top the A Conference standings

by Nelson Coffin

Shortly after junior TJ Shaw and sophomore Finn Higgins gave Boys’ Latin a 2-1 advantage over Gilman, senior attackman Chase Carpenter, assisted by senior midfielder Jadon Chaney, answered for the Greyhounds to deadlock the key A Conference battle while setting the stage for junior midfielder Tommy Malfa to give the visitors a lead late in the opening quarter.

Bucknell-bound senior midfielder Cabot White would score the only goal of a taut second quarter to give Gilman a 4-2 halftime bulge, although it would eventually take a late closing run for the Greyhounds to secure a solid 9-6 victory. It was Gilman's first win over BL since 2017.

BL (5-5, 2-2 A Conference) rallied from the 4-2 hole on a blazer by juniorJoey Keller before Shaw found junior Quinn Lynch to knot the score at 4-4 with 26 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Lakers would go back on top, 5-4, early in the fourth on another Higgins tally.

White drew the Greyhounds (7-5, 1-3) even again on a rocket from up top before senior midfielder Sam Nuermberger rifled a shot past senior goalie Blake Connor (11 saves) to give Gilman a short-lived 6-5 lead. 

The game’s final tie came after a hard Lakers' hard ride produced a Shaw finish on the doorstep to make it, 6-6, with 8:06 remaining in regulation.

Gilman, though, found the wherewithal to finish the job in the final 5:45 on goals by Malfa and senior midfielders John Maloney and Rohan Vesely to secure its first A Conference victory this spring. 

The Greyhounds were on the other side of a team seeking its first league win when Mount St. Joseph (8-4, 1-3) overcame a three-goal deficit to win a tight 7-6 skirmish.

Loyola Blakefield (6-4, 4-0) also blossomed in the fourth quarter of a 14-10 win over Severn to remain perfect in league play while handing the Admirals their first conference setback.

The Dons, who surrendered the game’s first four goals before catching up for the first time, were trailing, 10-7 on Admiral senior attackman Kevin Gattie’s man-up goal early in the third quarter that seemed to light a fire under the hosts.

Senior Salisbury commit Alex Heil’s goal evened the score early in the final quarter and senior attackman Bennett Cook’s strike shortly thereafter gave Loyola even more momentum to grab the lead for good.

Goals by senior Cole Mosier and sophomores Cooper Lewis and Aiden Kury completed the Loyola comeback.

The Dons’ follow-up to beating Severn (7-3, 2-1) was every bit as impactful when they rallied past BL, 12-11, on Friday after trailing, 10-4, late in the third quarter.

After a steady comeback inched Loyola closer and closer, a goal by Mosier forced overtime in the final minute of regulation before Lewis’ strike concluded the proceedings early in the extra period.

The only other undefeated team in the A Conference, Calvert Hall, topped St. Joe, 15-9, prior to avoiding the Lakers’ fate when a seemingly insurmountable 11-5 advantage against McDonogh (6-3, 2-2) wilted down the stretch.

A three-goal spurt by junior attackman Huntley Walsh, senior attackman Hunter Metz and sophomore midfielder Wyatt Guerra drew the Eagles to within a goal with under five minutes left in the fourth period. Junior midfielder Michael Steer stopped the bleeding for the Cardinals (6-3, 4-0), who needed a last-minute stop after Metz rippled the net for his game-high fourth goal of the game.

Steer and six of his teammates — senior midfielder Jack Williams, junior attackman Hut Perdew, sophomore midfielder Banks Enrique and sophomore attackmen Caleb Kelly, Adam Heuston and Connor Sullivan — had two goals each in the 14-13 victory. 

Archbishop Spalding (5-4, 3-1) also had a solid week, beating edging St. Paul’s, 10-9, before executing a neat 11-7 decision over St. Mary’s (5-4, 1-2). Junior attackman Zach Gutierrez finished a nice inside look to net the deciding goal against the Crusaders (2-5, 1-2), who dug out of a 4-1 hole to knot the score at 9-9 and rebounded later in the week with a 6-3 triumph over John Carroll (0-7, 0-5). Spalding senior attackman Brady Mollet rifled in the go-ahead tally against the Saints.