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Eagles down Culpeper lacrosse for first victory
Liberty boys lacrosse coach Rich Klares knows what Conor O'Kane can do. Culpeper has a pretty good idea now, too.
The Eagles' goalie turned aside 16 shots on Monday night, as LHS (1-3 overall) captured its first win of the season, 8-6, over the visiting Blue Devils.
"I threw four balls at him (in warm-ups) and I just said, 'You're ready,'" Klares said, recalling the pregame with O'Kane. "When he's in that zone, and you can see it in his eyes, nobody's going to beat him."
Culpeper (0-4) did manage to sneak one past O'Kane just 57 seconds into the game for a 1-0 lead. But after that, O'Kane and the Eagles allowed just one goal over the next 28:25.
In the meantime, the Liberty offense stepped up.
Senior Kenny May scored midway through the first quarter to tie it 1-1. Corey Austin, Nick Glowicki and Courtney Ledden all added tallies before halftime, giving Liberty a 4-2 edge.
May and Austin found paydirt again in the third, extending the lead to 6-3. Culpeper pulled within two late in that quarter, but May completed his hat trick six seconds before the third ended and LHS reclaimed a three-goal edge.
Glowicki made it 8-4 at the 6:18 mark of the fourth, and Liberty relied on O'Kane to bring it home.
Coming just four days after a 15-2 loss to Fauquier, Liberty's performance on Monday was an impressive one. "After the debacle over at Fauquier, we had a real bad taste in our mouths," Klares said. "My guys stuck together. They played well."
Three of Liberty's goals came on the power play, as the Eagles took advantage of some undisciplined play by Culpeper.
Both teams also had to battle through a scary moment. With 4:40 left in the third quarter, a huge hit by Josh Cooper on Culpeper's Danny Woycik left the Devil down for some time. He was eventually helped off the field, diagnosed with a possible concussion.
The Eagles managed to maintain their aggressiveness following Woycik's injury. As a result, Liberty finally put erased the goose egg from its win column.
"It's more relief than anything," Klares said.
LHS returns to action on Monday at Osbourn Park, in what promises to be another difficult test. Yet, if O'Kane can find his zone again, Liberty have to like its chances.
"He shows leadership, he shows tremendous character," raved Klares about O'Kane. "It's an honor knowing him on and off the lacrosse field."
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