Brady Mahler's six goals, three assists lead Baldwin in boys lacrosse
Brady Mahler of Baldwin (six goals, three assists), right, runs over to congratulate teammate Logan Kirchner after he scored a goal in the third quarter of a Nassau Conference A boys lacrosse game against host Freeport on Monday. Credit: James Escher
After Angel Johnson scored his first goal of the afternoon, the Bruins yelled “light the candle” in celebration.
It’s Baldwin’s version of the hockey phrase “light the lamp.” The Bruins didn’t say it each goal, but the fictional candle was lit often.
Baldwin defeated Freeport 13-5 behind Brady Mahler’s six goals and three assists in a Nassau A lacrosse game at Freeport High School.
“This is a league game,” head coach Tim Clancy said. “It’s a local rivalry. There’s a lot riding on this game. So leading into this game, that was the mentality. We treated this game like it was our first Super Bowl of the year.”
Mahler, a junior and captain, helped get Baldwin (2-0) out to a 4-0 start, scoring the first two goals and pestering the Freeport (1-1) defense with shots.
The scoring slowed down in the second quarter as the Bruins held their 5-1 lead until Mahler bounced a shot into the net with 2:14 remaining in the half. Baldwin won the ensuing face-off, and Johnson “lit the candle” just 28 seconds later.
“Well, I take a lot of shots,” Mahler said. “Most of them don’t go in, but the few that do, they’re nice. My teammates are always helpful clearing through, setting picks, passing the ball. Even if I don’t score, I get my teammate the ball.”
Mahler shot 12 times, scoring half of his attempts. He was sometimes positioned behind the net as a facilitator, however. He knows it’s not the “Brady show” and is confident in his teammates’ ability to score.
“Our entire team can put the ball in the back of the net,” Mahler said. “Everyone’s open and if they’re open, I’m going to pass it.”
Mahler assisted Johnson and Logan Kirchner in the third quarter before adding his fourth goal to put Baldwin up 10-2. Johnson and Kirchner finished with two goals each.
Mahler’s fifth score put the Bruins up by nine in the fourth quarter, their largest lead of the game. The junior captain noted how the team wanted to win badly, and it showed on both ends of the field.
“Our defense always wants to get our rookie goalie a shutout,” Mahler said. “They’re very physical. They wanted this game a lot and you could see. Keeping the lead — the offense has to get it, but the defense really keeps it.”
Othello Cook made four saves for Baldwin.
