Herricks boys lacrosse's Gavin Dugger, Brayden Haase lead win over Bellmore JFK
Gavin Dugger of Herricks scores against Bellmore JFK during a Nassau non-league boys lacrosse game on Tuesday in Bellmore. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Gavin Dugger was loving life on the run for Herricks, shooting and scoring four times while moving fast Tuesday on Bellmore JFK’s turf.
So where did he learn to shoot a lacrosse ball like that while on the run?
“Mini sessions and practices over the summer with coach [Mike] Chin,” Dugger said. “Like twice a week, the team shoots together. It’s a fun time. We work on shooting on the run, shooting out of a dodge, out of quick moves and everything like that.”
Dugger delivered a career-high five goals overall and one assist, Brayden Haase contributed four goals and two assists and Ayden Khan made 12 stops, including career save No. 200, in the Highlanders’ impressive 14-2 non-league win.
That pulled them even at 3-3. They fell in the Class A quarterfinals last year, but they have Dugger and Haase, the two talented senior midfielders, and an improved defensive group.
So they’re aiming higher.
“Our goal is to get past the quarterfinals and get to the final four,” Chin said. “We’ve been close a couple of times in the last four years. Just haven’t gotten over the hump.”
Just 2:16 into the game, Dugger rocketed a shot for his lone stationary goal. Just 1:14 later, he scored on the run.
Haase soon fed Luke McCloskey in front for an easy goal. Then Haase, who surpassed 100 career goals last month, closed from the right and scored. It was 4-0 after one quarter.
Dugger, Haase, Patrick Symanski, Nate Kershaw and Marco Kolega scored in the second quarter. It was 9-1 at halftime.
“They beat us in the playoffs when we hosted at home at Herricks a few years ago,” Chin said. “So it’s always on our minds, just the quality of this program and what we have to do to also compensate for that playoff loss.”
The Cougars, who got goals from Jonathan Cohen and Cameron Linn, fell to 1-3 after going 11-5 last season.
“We have to get better,” coach Gerard Cunningham said. “Obviously, winning games is important, but really going out there and just competing is really the most important thing.”
