By SPENCER BATES
SALAMANCA — Having been in pursuit of Niagara-Wheatfield for a majority of the contest, the Salamanca boys lacrosse team managed to storm back from behind and take an 11-9 victory.
From the first faceoff, the visiting Falcons applied the pressure, imposing themselves firmly in the Warriors’ defensive portion of the field — a trend that continued throughout the first half of play as mistakes hindered the hosts early.
But Salamanca’s presence on offense only grew, tightening its grip on the game over time.
After only recording two shots on target in the first quarter, the Warriors put six on frame in the second and third apiece and seven in the fourth. Meanwhile, N-W’s offense, despite how well-rounded it had been — seeing five different players score its first five goals of the contest — faded over time.
After scoring six goals on nine shots on target in the first half, the Falcons only managed three in the second half, none of which came in the fourth quarter.
It was a level of improvement that Salamanca assistant coach Larry Wheeler was satisfied with.
“I think the boys recognized that we weren’t winning the ground ball battles,” Wheeler said. “They focused on coming up with the ground balls, having a better shot selection (in the second half). I think (Niagara-Wheatfield’s) goalie was good downstairs, and every low shot, he was eating them up. The boys made the adjustment, and found the open net.”
However, the Warriors were not without their struggles on the day. Notably they struggled throughout the first half with building out from the defense, with a number of possessions sputtering out or resulting in near-immediate turnovers that Niagara-Wheatfield punished.
As the Falcons entered the halftime intermission, two of their goals came as a result of them being unforgiving to the mistakes of their hosts. Two goals that were pivotal as they took a 6-4 lead into the break.
Salamanca’s Maddox Isaac (11) looks to make a move on offense against Niagara-Wheatfield. Isaac led the Warriors with six goals in their 11-9 win over the Falcons. (Salamanca Warrior Athletics)
But considering the game against the Falcons was the third in three days for the Warriors, Wheeler was able to attribute the slower start to just a hint of mental fatigue.
“We had games Thursday, Friday, Saturday,” Wheeler said. “I think that it was just a little bit of wet sticks at the beginning of the game. We came out just not making crisp passes like we normally do. I think that during the half everybody had a chance to get their sticks back on.
“We had a long bus ride last night, we pulled in around midnight, so we were coming off a short night of rest. But like I said, the boys made a good adjustment at the half and won the ground ball battle for the rest of the game. So I think that’s what changed.”
But in the times the Warriors were able to construct well-executed possessions, starting from their defense, they found a great deal of success. Maddox Isaac put the finishing touches on one such move in the dying moments of the first quarter. He doubled up his tally on the day after finishing off an offensive possession with Salamanca holding a three-man advantage following a flurry of N-W penalties in the second.
“He’s a leader, he’s just a natural leader,” Wheeler said of Isaac. “He’s a good coach on the field. He keeps his head and he can make those adjustments when he needs to make them.”
But Isaac was just getting started in the first half. In the third quarter alone, Isaac — who was tipped to be a pivotal piece to the puzzle for the Warriors this season in terms of veteran leadership — added three more goals to his tally en route to a six goal day. But it’s not just the goals he provides that pays dividends, it’s the wealth of experience he plays with as well.
“He’s growing as a young man,” Wheeler said. “He made the all-state basketball team, and it’s for a good reason. He knows his role on the field, and the boys all respect them on the field.”
The win moved Salamanca to 8-3 on the season and will have the chance to claim its fourth win in a row on April 30 at Gowanda at 5:30 p.m.
