St. Joseph wins home opener in West Point by Sean Farrell of The Record
WEST POINT, N.Y. – All that was missing was the fight song.
The Army logo and the “Beat Air Force” sign made it look like any other game in West Point. Men in uniform and military Jeeps even passed by in the near distance.
St. Joseph traveled over the state border for its “home opener” at Army’s Shea Stadium. There, the Green Knights were rewarded with an 8-4 win over Wayne Hills on Saturday in a unique setting for high school lacrosse. Just a few feet off the Hudson River, there wasn’t a cloud in sight.
“It’s a great environment,” sophomore Eric Manfredonia said. “We were really hyped up. We were ready to play. We wanted to have a good game and maintain control of the ball, look for good options and put the ball in the back of the net.”
St. Joseph arrived at West Point around 11 a.m. The Green Knights had a team tailgate and watched the Army men’s lacrosse team host Bucknell at nearby Michie Stadium. Soon after, they got to work against the Patriots, the defending Passaic County champions.
The Green Knights took a 3-0 lead early on with Manfredonia putting in the first two goals. A big early advantage in ground balls and solid play at the faceoff X helped them through to a statement win.
“We’re still young,” coach Dale Weingarten said. “We make a lot of mistakes, turnovers. We’re forcing the play a little bit. They’re learning that you have to value the possession. Every time out, that’s what I try to tell them. Settle down.”
St. Joseph sees this as a turnaround year.
The Green Knights were blown out by Wayne Hills last year when they started six freshmen and fell under .500. But Weingarten’s team is now 2-0 with a healthier group and almost the whole starting lineup back.
Manfredonia, who missed time last year with a knee injury, scored a hat trick on Saturday. Gage Poindexter added two goals, while Troy Santise, Dom Delponte and Kevin Jaffe had one apiece.
When the lead was cut to one, St. Joseph responded with three unanswered goals to end the game.
Sophomore Rob Zevzavadgian made 14 saves in the win.
“I’m feeling very confident,” Zevzavadgian said. “We’ve got a great defense so I think we’re looking pretty good on that end.”
Zevzavadgian missed a large part of last season with a hip injury, yet was sharp in the first half. The Ramsey native said he felt right at home at West Point, having been there before for a summer camp and as a lacrosse player.
“It’s really important having him back,” Weingarten said. “It takes a lot of leadership to be a goalie, especially as a sophomore on a varsity team. He certainly lives up to that part. He’s a good kid. He listens. He’s a hard-worker. Even when he’s injured like last year, he was running at practice not realizing he had to get an MRI taken to see that. He’s a pretty intense kid and a great netminder. We’re fortunate to have him.”