https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Shen-tops-Shaker-in-rematch-of-last-year-s-final-12872430.php
Shen tops Shaker in rematch of last year's final
Leblanc's faceoff tenacity powers Plainsmen to win
Published 11:04 pm, Saturday, April 28, 2018
Clifton Park
The primary objective for the Shenendehowa boys' lacrosse team Saturday was to methodically attack Shaker's vaunted zone defense. Of course, in order to do that, you first must gain possession of the ball. That is where Justin Leblanc entered the equation.
Leblanc, a senior midfielder bound for Stony Brook, is the face-off specialist for the Plainsmen. He did not always capture his draws cleanly in battles against Shaker standout Aidan Feurer, but Leblanc's tenacity — along with that from Jack Hyde and Duncan Hill — helped Shen secure eight wins in 11 attempts during the first half. That vital work allowed the Plainsmen to establish and execute its offensive game plan.
Although the Blue Bison roared back in the second half, it was not enough to prevail as Shenendehowa registered a 9-7 Suburban Council victory in a rematch of the 2017 Section II Class A final.
"We had a lot of patience today. It worked out well for us," Leblanc said. "I think we played to our potential. That is a good feeling."
"They had a plan. They executed that plan beautifully," Shaker coach Shawn Hennessey said of the Plainsmen. "I give them all the credit in the world. This is something we need to work on. We know teams are going to slow it down against us. We know we need to do a better job communicating in our areas."
Shaker overcame a 4-3 deficit in the sectional title match to record a 9-5 win. Saturday, Shenendehowa (8-2 overall, 7-0 Suburban Council) built a 8-3 halftime cushion.
"I knew we weren't going to let it slide away this time," Shenendehowa senior midfielder Drew Liguori said. "They came back and we got together and said, 'it is not going to happen again.' In our house, we took it home."
Liguori helped assure victory, after Shaker (7-2, 6-1) rallied within 8-7, when he converted a feed from Billy Beach with 6:15 remaining for Shen's lone goal after intermission.
"Their players are too good," Shenendehowa coach Jason Gifford said of Shaker. "As a coach, you look at the halftime score and want it to double, but you know that is not going to happen. They have some fantastic players, their goalie (Sam Nelson) made a few big saves in the second half and we hit a couple of pipes."
The first 24 minutes were nearly flawless from the Plainsmen. Shenendehowa controlled the bulk of the possession time in the first quarter and built a 6-2 advantage.
Leblanc won all four draws in the second quarter and Hyde buried a pass from Liguori with 7.8 seconds left in the opening half as the Plainsmen led 8-3.
"They won the ground ball war in the first half," Hennessey said.
"Justin was killing it in the X. He did an amazing job all day," said Liguori, who paced the offense with three goals and one assist. "They have a great zone. It is really hard to beat. We have been working for two weeks on our zone plays. It really paid off for us. We got the shots we needed."
"We talked (Thursday) that we're getting to the point in our schedule where we have to play big-boy lacrosse," Gifford said. "This wasn't about finesse. This was a lot about Justin Leblanc at the face-off X fighting and scrapping, playing really patient offense and doing a fantastic job at it."
"He likes to go forward," Leblanc said of Feurer. "I tried to jam him, so he couldn't go forward. I wanted to make it a 50-50 groundball so my wings could come help me. I think that worked out pretty well."
The Plainsmen, an honorable mention selection in the latest Class A state rankings, recorded several possessions in the first half that exceeded 90 seconds. Many concluded with only one shot, usually a goal by the Plainsmen. Shaker, ranked No. 20, turned things around in the second half as the trio of Jack Cheney, Luke Julien and Feurer helped cut the deficit to one goal.
"We felt pretty good when it was coming down the stretch," Hennessey said. "This game is something we will grow from."
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