Heights Lacrosse Puts a Memorable Season in the Books

The 2022 season for the Heights Cavs was one to remember for plenty of reasons. First year head coach Boh Mitchell led the team to a playoff birth in his first year under the helm. Captains Harrison Barkley (Jr, M), Jack Hermes (Jr, D), and Tommy Gross (Sr, G) were sensational leaders and were able to rally the team when they needed it most. A big step forward that was taken this year was that the team was competing with the best teams not only in the conference, but in the country, including leading at points in the games. The Cavs were 4-0 in one-goal games this year, including a 4OT thriller at St. Andrews on April 22. Injuries hurt the team, mainly on the defensive end, where four guys, including three starters, would miss significant time. The best player on the team this year, Tommy Gross (Sr, G), had an excellent year with his best game coming against St. Andrews, where he saved multiple goals on the doorstep of the crease in the 4th quarter and the 4OTs.

         The season started in Durham, North Carolina, where the team pulled out an 8-7 win over St. Anne’s-Belfield. They proceeded to go on a 3-3 stretch in March, which included slim three-goal losses to Paul VI and Gonzaga. April started off with a blowout win vs St. Mary’s Ryken, and then St. Johns came to town. We stayed close, and held it to 2-1 at the end of the first quarter, but they pulled away in the 2nd and 4th. The next two games were fairly easy wins, and then the team went to Good Counsel, where we won in a tight one, thanks to Leo Messenger   (Sr, M), who had the game-tying and winning goal in OT to win it 10-9. The next game was the St. Andrews game, a 4OT win. The biggest game of the season against Dematha on Senior Day was up next. It was the return of former head coach Dave Mitchell, and it was blow for blow the whole game. Dematha quickly went up, but the Cavs came back, taking a two-goal lead in the third. Dematha eventually pulled out with a 13-11 win, but most of the guys were happy with the effort and fight that was put up against guys that clearly looked down on us. The team got an easy win at JP the Great to close out April, and then the playoffs arrived. The Heights was set to play at Paul VI on Tuesday, May 3rd in the WCAC quarterfinal. PVI went up 1-0 fairly quickly, but the Cavs came storming back, with goals from Seamus Regan (Jr, A), and Joe James (Jr, A). A momentum shift was when PVI scored to tie it at 2 right before the  1st quarter ended, and PVI went into halftime up 5-3. They went on a 3rd quarter run, and the Cavs were only able to score once more. Tommy gave it his all, and he made it clear that he wanted it more than PVI, who thought that it was going to be a blowout, even after the regular season matchup. Hermes and Daniel Kim (So, D) played great games. Hank Mitchell (Jr, D), Tony Colosi (So, M, Soft Hands), Paul Anglade ( Fr, M, it is him), and Owen James (Fr, LSM, The Last Jedi) played big when they had to step into bigger roles over the course of the season. We also have parted ways with our goalie coach, Dave Diamond, who we wish the best of luck at Bullis next year. The offseason starts now, and we will be back next year with a super-talented rising senior class and guys that got a year older.