Oak Hall Boys Lacrosse Comes Up Short Against Ponte Vedra
The energy felt different Thursday night at The Oak Hall School. The stands were packed, the crowd was energetic and the players were on their feet. And for good reason.
Ponte Vedra defeated Oak Hall 7-4 in a high-level boys lacrosse match.
The Sharks (14-2), ranked No. 4 in the country, made the 100-minute drive west to face the Eagles (11-2), who are No. 36 in the nation.
“I would not call Ponte Vedra a tough opponent; they’re a national-caliber lacrosse program,” Eagles coach Jonathan Montes said. “It’s like bringing St. Thomas Aquinas to come play some football in here. That’s who Ponte Vedra is.”
It was a back-and-forth contest early on, trading goals in the first and second periods, with Ponte Vedra found itself up 3-2 at intermission.
The Sharks spent most of the half in the attack zone, but could not score. Ponte Vedra more than doubled Oak Hall in shot attempts (18-7), but goalie Sam Cohn made several key saves to keep the Eagles in striking distance.
The Eagles had their own chances while missing opportunities to extend the game. In limited shots on goal, Oak Hall had numerous good looks in the third period, but failed to convert.
“When you play in a game like this, when you’re playing a team that has a culture and a history of excellence, you don’t have to play mistake-free lacrosse, but you have to play with a competitive excellence that’s not matched in a standard, every-day type game,” Montes said.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Sharks were up 4-2, but the Eagles didn’t go quietly. Oak Hall scored two consecutive goals to even the game at four. One score was a ground-ball pickup by Kevin Bendekovic that tied the game.
But that’s when Ponte Vedra took over. The Sharks connected on three shots in the last five minutes to seal the marquee win.
“We make a few mistakes. They get the appropriate matchup and they make a play,” Montes said. “That’s what great players do. They go make plays.”
Up next for the Eagles is the district tournament. After suffering only their second loss of the season, Montes believes the setback will only help Oak Hall perform to the level it is capable of in the postseason.
“We prep them for their playoff run. They do the same for us, so there’s a real level of respect,” Montes said of the Sharks. “We don’t have the brand equity that they have, but we have a great program, and they understand that.”
Category: High School Sports, Oak Hall High School
