2025 HOCO Week Two

Written by Owen Mest

Our 2029 team secured an impressive 10-5 victory in their second game of the season against the talented and well-coached True Nova squad. The boys demonstrated remarkable growth and adaptability, clearly benefiting from a productive practice week where they focused on refining their strategies and making crucial adjustments based on their performance in the first game last weekend. These efforts paid off handsomely, as the team successfully installed new plays that directly contributed to several goals, ultimately propelling them to a well-deserved win.

The game was a showcase of the team’s hard work and determination, with numerous standout moments that highlighted their skill and teamwork. One of the most notable aspects of their performance was their exceptional transition game. The 2029 team was nearly flawless, achieving an impressive eleven out of twelve successful clears throughout the match. These clears were not just defensive plays but pivotal moments that shifted the momentum in their favor, leading to multiple scoring opportunities. Early in the first quarter, their precision was on full display when captain number five, Kai Geesaman, scored the team’s first goal, putting them up 1-0. The goal came off a beautifully executed assist from number twenty-seven, Hayden Carnecchia, whose vision and pass set up Geesaman for an easy finish. This early score set the tone for the rest of the game, energizing both the team and the sidelines.

The team’s dominance continued into the fourth quarter, where their defensive pressure and quick transitions proved decisive. After forcing a turnover, the 2029 squad capitalized on another fast break. Number twenty-eight, Case Rodgers, found the back of the net, assisted by captain number twenty-nine, Owen Mest, who delivered a perfectly timed pass following the clear. This goal, which extended their lead to 8-5, was a turning point, as it crushed any hopes of a True Nova comeback and showcased the team’s ability to maintain control even in the latter stages of the game something they had troubles with in last saturdays game, and was a focus point of last weeks practice.

Another highlight of the weekend was the team’s relentless performance in the ride game. The 2029 squad was aggressive  forcing five turnovers that disrupted True Nova’s offensive rhythm and created multiple scoring chances for their own attack. These forced turnovers were not only a testament to the team’s defensive prowess but also directly led to several successful offensive positions, resulting in additional goals that further solidified their lead.

This win not only boosts the 2029 team’s confidence as they move forward in the season but also serves as a statement to their competitors that they are a force to be reckoned with. With their combination of skill, strategy, and sheer willpower. The 2029 team looks to carry this win over to this weekend where they face a talented Hawks team.

The 2030 Crabs had another strong performance, getting the second win of the HOCO season against a tough Clippers team, with the final score at an 11 – 3 win for the good guys and a 2-0 start in the league.

It was a grind of a first half, with both teams trying to get a feel for the game.  Crabs’ goalie Cooper Goloboski came up big with 9 saves and an overall 90% save rate in the first half.  Charlie Rotenberry came in strong in the second half, playing very well and left no opportunity for the Clippers to get excited.

Defense had another sound game, anchored by Cannon Griffith with 7 GB’s and 5 caused turnovers, Owen Mengel with 2 caused turnovers and a man down group that didn’t allow a goal in three Clipper attempts.  The clearing game was a bright spot in the win also, going 80% on the day.  These efforts lead to keeping the Clippers offense to just 3 goals.

The second half saw the offense come alive through great ball movement, unselfish play and a relentless ride.  Taking care of the ball, the Crabs dropped 8 goals in the second half to secure the win.  Nate Snyder led all scorers with three goals, and Will Stout followed with two good goals.  Other point getters were Mikey Cuches with two assists, Jules Greshler and Kingley Gilliss with a goal and an assist each.  Slade Ferrera, Durban Manekin, Luke Miller, Alex Levinson and Ben Cravens each added a point in a very balanced offensive day.

Next week will be a big test against Next Level, a highly regarded team nationally.  A good week of practice and work off the field is needed to have another successful weekend, and the boys are excited to showcase their skills.

Be the Best, Go Crabs!   

By Kingley Gilliss

Week two and the boys were back and hungry for a win (in regulation)!  With a 15-5 win over Clippers Blue, the attack and midfield put on an impressive offensive display. Leading the way was #8 Finn Kernan with four goals, #22 Dylan Keller with three goals,  and #3 Jack Berrier and #87 Colton Pyle both with two goals. Tallying one goal a piece was #14 Colin Lally, #88 Trevor Smith, #9 Teddy Furrer, and #7 Chance Hardesty. Although they didn’t see much action, the defense worked together, and the team managed 31 ground balls to the Clippers 10. Both Ryder Radebaugh and Carson McClure held it down in goal. Things are coming together for this 2031 crew. Each week they get better. This group is super talented, and their coaches set the bar high. They understand what it means to put your head down and get to work. They will need to fire off quickly with more intensity off the jump next Sunday as they have a tough matchup with Next Level, who comes in 2-0 on the season

This week, Crabs 2032 took on Next Level — last year’s #1 seed and league champions — in our second elite league match-up. It was a tough test against a talented and experienced opponent, but the team showed heart and continued to compete with grit and a growth mindset.

We had some strong moments on the field:

Carter (7) put the Crabs on the board with his first goal of the season, set up by a sharp assist from Jaxon (75).

Will (35) followed with an unassisted goal, creating a scoring opportunity on his own.

In the final quarter, Jaxon (75) tallied his first goal of the season off an assist from Campbell (20), who secured the faceoff and set up the play.

As a team, we’re still acclimating to the pace, skill level, and physicality of this elite league. We’ve opened the season against some of the toughest competition, but the boys never backed down. They brought the energy, turned up the aggressiveness, and are learning every week what it takes to compete at this level.

We’ll continue focusing on sharpening the fundamentals — fighting for ground balls, sliding to cover on defense, and improving our transition game. Every challenge, every game, and every week so far has been an opportunity for growth — and this team is rising to meet it.

Crabs 2033 vs. Madlax 2033 Game Recap

In a super exciting game, Madlax 2033 won 9-8 in overtime against Crabs 2033, even though the Crabs made an awesome comeback in the second half.

Madlax started strong, getting a 2-1 lead after the first quarter. They continued their momentum in the second, adding three more goals to hold a 5-4 lead at halftime, despite Crabs' offense finding life with key goals from Reese, Thomas, and Domenic.

In the third quarter, Cole scored for the Crabs, tying the game at 5-5. But then Madlax answered quickly with two goals, putting them back in the lead at 7-5 as the fourth quarter started.

The Crabs didn’t give up. Cole scored again, with a nice assist from Reese, bringing the score to 7-6. Madlax came back with two more goals, making it 8-6.

Jake, Bradley, and Rocco dominated the faceoffs for Crabs, winning important possessions and giving their team more chances to score. Their hustle helped keep the Crabs in the game.

The Crabs’ midfieldersTilman, Mason, Thomas, and Vinci did a great job moving the ball upfield and getting the offense going. They made quick decisions and passed the ball really well.

The Crabs’ defense was awesome. John, Holden Miller, Holden Lombardi, George, and Harrison played tough, causing turnovers and stopping Madlax from getting easy shots. Holden Miller and Holden Lombardi were especially tough, checking players and grabbing ground balls. John, George, and Harrison worked together to close down passing lanes and made sure Madlax had a hard time scoring.

Henry, the LSM, used his speed to help get the ball upfield quickly, creating chances for Crabs on offense.

Goalies Nolan and Quinn were huge in this game, making some big saves to keep the Crabs in it.

With only a little time left, Reese scored, making it 8-7. Then, controversy struck after a stoppage in play, Crabs parents erupted as the game clock continued to run. Despite the clock confusion, Crabs pressed on after a much needed time-out called by Coach Tony. With just 32 seconds remaining, Domenic buried the game-tying goal off a perfect pass from Truce, sending the crowd into a frenzy and forcing overtime. Unfortunately, in overtime, Madlax took advantage of a fast break and scored the game-winning goal to win 9-8.

The Crabs showed their playoff potential by dominating the faceoffs and ground balls and will be sure to catch Madlax by the end of the season. It was an incredible game and well fought by both teams.

Week 2 of our HoCo League conquest to the playoffs started off strong playing one of our biggest rivals and contenders, Bethesda Lacrosse Club (BLC).  Right out the gate, our defense set the tone with solid footwork in keeping the BLC attackers from penetrating into a critical scoring area. After a few minutes of BLC attempting to break down our strong hold, they took their chances on our brick wall in goal, Ryder Woodward, who made an incredible first of many saves during the contest.   Long pole defender John Mest successfully cleared it down the field as our Crabs took their first shot on the BLC defense.  After a quick BLC save and an unsuccessful attempt to clear the ball, our Crabs string together a few passes finding midfielder Marcus Toner who rips a shot in for the first score of the game with 4:42 left in the first quarter. Less than 2 minutes later, midfielder Briar Cooper finds attacker Logan Woodford with the assist and goal! The last two minutes of the first quarter were intense as BLC tried to battle back, but the middies and defense held them strong with 2 additional key saves by Woodward in goal.  Crabs started the second quarter just as strong as their first, but in a man up situation for BLC, they were able to find the back of the net just a few minutes in. The rest of the quarter it was back and forth for both teams with a caused turnover in the midfield by long pole defender Keegan McGinn and incredible hustle from the midfielders, Keagan Castle, Brecon O'Day, and Blake Caulder. The '34's headed into halftime with an additional tally with less than a minute left in the half when Everette Woodford found the back of the net with an amazing assist from Henry Koropecky. 

If you thought the first half was exciting, the second half is where things really started to heat up!  Crabs came out strong in the second half with some amazing team work and patience moving the ball around on the attacking end leading to 2 additional goals from Toner and Castle stretching the Crabs lead to 5-1 over BLC.  Just when you thought we were getting settled into a rhythm, BLC battled back with a fast break leading to 2 quick goals ending the third quarter with a score 5-3 Crabs. With the momentum shift into the 4th quarter, the Crabs didn't let up as the ball was back and forth on either end with caused turnovers, shots wide made by both teams and tremendous effort battling for the ball between the pipes as Woodward made an additional 2 crucial saves.  BLC was able to find the back of the net yet again to bring the score 5-4 and then a man up situation led BLC to tie up the game with less than 2 minutes left on the clock. BLC wins the faceoff, but the consistent solid Crabs defense we have seen all game from our poles, Tiernan Norman, Hudson Washburn, Mest, and McGinn, caused a turnover in our defensive end and with a successful clear, Graham Fritze scores to give the Crabs their lead off of a loose ball in front of the BLC goal.  With 35 seconds left on the clock and every single one of the Crabs fans holding their breath in the stands, Toner wins a crucial faceoff for the Crabs to keep possession going into the final few seconds of the game as the Crabs pull off their first big win of the season.

The 2034's are now 1-1 on the season, focused, and hungry for more with their next big match up being against Team 91 this upcoming weekend. Let's go CRABS!"

The youngest Crabs had a big performance against a very strong Green Hornet squad. We came up short in the end, losing 10-7, but all the boys played a fantastic game, showing a ton of growth and never giving up. We were within 2 when they got 1 final score as the buzzer went off to end the game. We lost to this same team just a couple of weeks ago 11-3, so this was a major improvement. The boys have really started to put the pieces together!

Teddy Nee (#5) and Griffin Bigos (#57) both played great halves in the goal. The defense collapsed well and made great slides. Long pole Cannon Perryman (#11) dominated his player on defense!

The middies ran great transition and won the overall face-off battle. Peter LaPaglia IV (#17) took home 3 goals, with Weston Lilly (#21), Tommy Schrader (#52), Eddie Haire (#33), and Matty Kauffman (#22) all adding to the board. Six or our seven goals were assisted. Two each came from Ryker Girch (#2), and Benjy Burgess (#24). Bo Scheiner (#3) and Eddie Haire (#33) each had an assist as well. Our offense outshot the Green Hornets but they weren’t all landing. The pipe was not our friend today!

All in all, this was a really encouraging game. Hats off to our Coaching Staff for getting us there!

Next up: those Hawks! Let’s go!
- Matty Kauffman (#22)