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Skippers 11 Dover-Sherborn 9

Date last updated 1:00 pm May 9th, 2008

Cohasset 11 – Dover-Sherborn 9
Led by its All-American attackman Mark Flibotte, the Cohasset boys lacrosse team got back on the winning track with a tense, hard-fought win on the road on Thursday morning (April 24). Both teams seemed to show some effects from vacation week with some poor passing and unforced turnovers throughout the game. Cohasset improved its record to 6-2 on the year. Coach Stew Curran thought it a big mid-season win, possibly important for the state tournament seeding in late May. “Dover-Sherborn is a quality lacrosse program. For the last four years, the Raiders have been competing with us, Scituate, and others for the top spot in Division III. This was an important win for my guys coming after our disappointing effort in the Chowder Cup final.”

Mike Grimm started the Skipper scoring with a left-handed laser after dodging from behind. After a Raider goal, Cohasset got caught in a substitution switch and Dover-Sherborn scored again in transition to take the lead. Andrew Smith picked up a loose ground ball and made a nice clearing run the length of the field. Mark Flibotte found the back of the net after a nifty roll dodge to tie the score. But the Raiders scored again on a fast break to close out the first quarter with the lead. Flibotte tied the score on another roll dodge and low bullet after a strong clearing run by Jake Cuneo. Dover-Sherborn then went on a three-goal run, which included a goal to an empty net after a botched Cohasset clear attempt, to take a commanding lead. With less than a minute to go in the half, Flibotte brought the Skippers closer on a bounce shot dodging from up top. Chuck Czerkawski won the ensuing face-off. Freshman midfielder Thomas Flibotte picked up the ground ball and somehow found Johnny Wade on the crease for a critical sidearm quick stick which brought Cohasset back before the buzzer.

At the start of the second half, Grimm, dodging from behind, drew aggressive slides from the Raider defense and found Mark Flibotte alone in the slot for the tying goal. After another Dover-Sherborn goal on a wayward Cohasset clear, Flibotte found the back of the cage twice after beating his defender clean and Cohasset took the lead. Grimm quickly followed with a pinball dodge through four Raider defenders beating the goalie to the top corner as he was knocked down. Dover-Sherborn inched closer at 9-8 with a goal on the man-up (Cohasset’s only penalty of the day). Wade scored his second goal on another quick stick to start the final quarter, this time on a beautiful feed from the older Flibotte. Dover-Sherborn scored again to keep the Skipper faithful on edge. However, with less than a minute to go and with a Raider defender stick slashed across his neck, Grimm fired a pass to the crease which ticked off the top of Mark Flibotte’s stick into the cage for a two-goal margin. The Raiders simply had no defensive answer to Flibotte’s outstanding play all day.

Coach Curran was pleased with his team’s defensive effort and the absence of penalties. “Stupid fouls have been hurting us all year. Today, we switched out of our aggressive man-to-man defense into a match-up zone from time to time. It seemed to confuse the Dover-Sherborn offense and it kept our guys under control and out of the penalty box.” Jake Kissick, Jake Cuneo, Anderson Lynner, Nick Lieberman, Andrew Smith, and John Maher all did a terrific job in the new zone defense quickly sliding with sticks up to prevent any Raider scoring opportunities.

Mark Flibotte led all scorers with seven goals and one assist. Mike Grimm had two goals and two assists. Chuck Czerkawski and Alex Kinnealey won over 80% of the face-offs and Nate Porter had 14 timely saves.