By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
The East Kentwood boys lacrosse team has only been a varsity program since 2019 and during that short period of time the Falcons have made big strides and is experiencing plenty of success this season.
The Falcons took another step forward Saturday when they dropped a 7-6 decision to Vicksburg in a match that wasn’t decided until the final seconds.
In a match that featured two teams bringing in winning records to the contest, Vicksburg scored a goal with just 28 seconds remaining on the clock to earn the win.
“I thought the boys from both teams did an incredible job battling and playing lacrosse,” East Kentwood coach Keegan Neitzke said. “The stats from the game show how evenly matched both teams were. I was so proud of our players. These seniors played Vicksburg in 2021 and lost 18-1. To play to a 7-6 loss with the winning goal coming in the last 35 seconds shows the massive growth these kids have taken.
“Our defense and goalie played outstanding and the offense put the ball in the back of the net when we needed it, we just ran out of time at the end.”
Sophomore goalie Shawn Delano turned in a big game for the Falcons in net. Delano saved 9-of-16 shots on goal to finish with a 69 percent save percentage. That save percentage was higher than his season average of 62 percent.
“Shawn has two years of experience,” Neitzke said. “He has gotten better every game he has played.”
Delano received plenty of support from Falcon defenders Jaiden Woodson and Corey Hall. Hall caused three turnovers and came up with two ground balls during the match while Woodson caused one turnover and captured four ground balls.
Woodson has been a defensive leader all season for the Falcons.
“Jaiden is an athletic defender who uses his speed and footwork to create turnovers,” Neitzke said. “He has three years of experience and he will continue his playing career at Aquinas College next year.”
For the season, Woodson has totaled 46 ground balls and caused 28 turnovers.
Defense has been a strong point for the Falcons this season as only two teams have scored in double figures against the Kentwood defense.
Ben Cash and Harrison Stidolph led the Falcons on offense. Cash totaled four goals and two assists against Vicksburg, while Stidolph added a pair of goals.
“Ben is a high-energy competitor and is our go-to offensive weapon,” Neitzke said. “Harrison loves the game of lacrosse and is being recruited by the University of Michigan-Dearborn.”
For the season, Cash has 57 goals and 20 assists, while Stidolph has 24 goals and 11 assists.
EK offense has several high-scoring games
The East Kentwood offense has recorded a number of high-scoring outputs this season, including an 18-goal game against both Coopersville and Kalamazoo Central and games of 17 and 16 goals against Northview.
The Falcons also have been receiving strong play from midfielder Waseem Ayad and long-stick middle/attacker Isaiah Ramirez. Ayad has 78 ground balls, 28 assists and caused 22 turnovers this season, while Ramirez has 37 ground balls, created 11 turnovers, added 11 assists and four goals.
“Waseem is the point guard of the offense and a two-way player,” Neitzke said. “He has three years of experience.”
Isaiah is a do-it-all player. He played long-stick middle the last two seasons, but does attack and long-stick mid to help the team. He has three years of experience and will continue his career at Aquinas College next year.”
Seniors help rebuild
This year’s seniors have helped build back the program from the hit it took from the covid pandemic that decimated numbers in 2021.
“I had around 16 kids come out and most of them had zero lacrosse experience,” Neitzke said. “Fast forward to this season and most of the seniors only have two to three years of lacrosse experience. The team has bought in and put in the work to get better on and off the field. Our records have increased each of the last three seasons and we are still learning.
“We are a growing program that started with a youth program so we have made an effort to build and grow lacrosse in the community. 2023 is our first year with a junior-varsity lacrosse team and we have started a middle school speed ball league to offset the expense of lacrosse.”
East Kentwood (8-7) is looking to finish the season strong.
“We have four games left that we believe we can win if we play up to the East Kentwood lacrosse standard,” said Neitzke after the Vicksburg loss. “If we win the next four games, we will finish the season with the most wins in a season in program history. The program is moving in the right direction and we continue to grow the game of lacrosse in the Kentwood community. It’s an exciting time for East Kentwood lacrosse.”
NOTE: East Kentwood beat Coopersville 22-1 Tuesday, and now only needs three wins to finish with the most wins in a season in program history.
