St. Anthony's uses strong team effort to beat Chaminade, seal CHSAA state and league titles
St. Anthony's Quinlan Langton (29) gets around Chaminade's Hunter Kimball (5) in the third quarter during the CHSAA boys lacrosse game between St. Anthony's and Chaminade on Tuesday May 7, 2024. Credit: Bob Sorensen
Gavin Fitzpatrick scored for Chaminade and it was all tied in the third at St. Anthony’s. But Quinn Langton untied it for the Friars, unleashing a rocket from the left side that struck the net with just six seconds left in the quarter.
“They had a little momentum there,” Langton said, “and we just took it away right there.”
It kept blowing in the direction of the nation’s third-ranked boys lacrosse team.
The Friars beat the Flyers, 10-6, Tuesday to clinch the NSCHSAA Class AAA crown for the fourth straight season and claim the CHSAA AAA state championship for the third straight year.
“It feels great, from last year to this year, keep the streak rolling,” Langton said.
The Army-bound senior attackman delivered both his goals and both his assists in the second half. Luke Breslin scored twice in each half. John Riglietti had two goals and two assists. Gary Merrill had three assists. And Sean Forde stood out in front of the cage with 12 saves, helping St. Anthony’s finish at 12-2.
“We had so much adversity over the year, going down to Lawrenceville and getting embarrassed,” Forde said, referencing a 13-7 loss in New Jersey. “It set the tone for the rest of the year. We worked so hard for this . . . We won this game for the alumni.”
After Langton provided a 6-5 edge heading for the fourth, he fed Breslin to make it a two-goal game.
Then Kyle Bilello made a run and scored from point-blank range against Sal Caputo, who stood out for Chaminade with 11 saves.
Riglietti followed with a goal. The Friars had a 9-5 lead with 5:01 left against the only other AAA team in the league. They clinched the NSCHSAA and state titles by beating the Flyers (10-4) for the second time this season, negating the need for a third meeting.
“We play one of the best non-conference schedules in the country to get ready to play Chaminade,” St. Anthony’s coach Keith Wieczorek said. “ . . . They are the best program we play year in and year out.”
The Friars owned a 2-1 advantage after one quarter and led 4-3 at halftime.
“They’re a great program,” Chaminade coach Jack Moran said. “We try to measure ourselves. Right now, they’ve got everything rolling. But we’re young, and I’m looking forward to what we have coming back.”
