Chaminade wins its first state boys lacrosse title at home

When it comes to their new state championship plaque, Chaminade’s boys lacrosse team didn’t have to carry it far; all it had to do was walk it down a tunnel.

Chaminade beat Buffalo-St. Joseph’s. 19-5, in the CHSAA Class AA title game Tuesday. It was a rare state championship home game and Chaminade’s first Class AA boys lacrosse title in school history, coach Jack Moran said.

“I thought that my last game [at home] was against Kellenberg a few weeks ago,” said Will Kusnierek, who scored three goals. “So, to end my senior year on this home field is something special.”

Patrick Kavanagh and Jake Sexton also had three goals apiece. Chaminade won 22 of 27 faceoffs, the majority taken by Tyler Sandoval, who was named the game’s MVP.

“As we started racking up more goals, the confidence level as a team went up,” Sandoval said. “Preparing before the faceoffs was much easier. [St. Joseph’s] threw a couple different guys in, so it was a little difficult to analyze what the other person was going to do. But, right off the [faceoff], it was easy to take behind and just get the ball cleanly.”

The Flyers outscored St. Joseph’s 11-1 in the second half, including a 7-0 third quarter that broke open the game.

The offensive explosion was hardly a surprise. Chaminade dominated the possession game for most of the first half, keeping the ball firmly secured in their offensive zone. But some timely St. Joseph goals kept the score closer than the play on the field may have indicated.

SEE PHOTOSCHSAA state Class AA final: Chaminade vs. St. Joseph's

Chaminade led 5-3 after the first quarter and 8-4 at halftime. The game was tied once 2-2 with 7:50 left in the first quarter.

“I thought we were a little sluggish in the first half and not moving the ball the way we usually do,” Kavanagh said. “Ball movement is how we win games and at halftime our coaches were really stressing being unselfish. We figured it out in the third quarter and put the game away.”