Glenelg boys lacrosse led Damascus by a goal after the opening quarter of Monday’s Class 2A West Region II semifinal. However, Gladiators coach Josh Hatmaker wasn’t satisfied and felt Glenelg was beating itself. Before the second quarter, he calmly said, “Guys we’re better than this.”
The Gladiators responded quickly and put forth an offensive onslaught with 11 second-quarter goals, including five in the first four minutes.
Glenelg scored 11 goals from the late stages of the first to the second, building a sizable halftime lead. The top seed Gladiators closed out a 19-6 win over No. 3 Damascus.
Glenelg advances to the 2A state quarterfinals for a fourth straight season. The Gladiators’ next opponent will be determined after the eight region winners are reseeded.
Senior Chris Iannarino spearheaded the offensive barrage. The dynamic midfielder scored four of his game-high six goals in the period. He also controlled the faceoff X, repeatedly winning possession as the Gladiators continued to pour it on. However, he wasn’t alone in that faceoff dominance. Fellow senior Conner Hammond also won several faceoffs allowing the Gladiators to continue adding to the lead.
“Both of them work their tails off,” Hatmaker said of the faceoff tandem. “They got a lot on their plate because they’re the core of our offensive unit also. They come work to every day. We trust them to go out there and make a decision based on what exit they want and how they actually want to approach it. Make it; take it, makes it a lot more fun game on the offensive side.”
Glenelg (12-3) showcased its offensive versatility in the second quarter with seven different goal scorers. The Gladiators have built great connectivity with one another after sharing the field for several seasons. Yet, the key to their offense extends beyond comfort. It’s also reliant on each player making smart decisions with and without the ball.
“Just moving the ball quickly, drawing double teams and knowing where the open guy is,” Iannarino said. “Getting in there, stepping down for a shot and putting it where the goalie is not.”
Monday’s win checked off another one of the Gladiators’ goals. However, they know the journey is far from over. Each of the past two seasons, Glenelg’s season has ended in the state quarterfinals. Seniors like Hammond and Iannarino now feel as though it’s their time to lead the Gladiators to the season’s biggest stage.
“It feels good, but the jobs not finished,” Hammond said of the regional title. “Me, Chris and Tim Iannarino came in here when there was a great batch of players and they handed us down the torch. It’s our time. We’re the captains of the team and it’s our time to lead these boys to the state championship and that’s our goal this year.”
To reach their ultimate goal, Glenelg knows that comfort with one another remains key. However, comfort and chemistry can only take you so far. The Gladiators are preaching the importance of playing within themselves, everyone individually handling their responsibilities and not forcing things.
They hope those will be some the characteristics that push the Gladiators to the program’s fifth state title and first since 2019.
“I think some of it’s experience, not being completely wide-eyed,” Hatmaker said of reaching their ultimate goal. “Knowing that whoever we face, that they’re quality 2A lacrosse players just like we are. We’ve got to come out and play our best games. Our senior leadership has been awesome and they’re the ones that are calming kids down or getting after somebody in practice. I think that trust they’ve built is good for everybody.”
Glenelg — 3 11 3 2 — 19
Damascus — 2 1 2 1 — 6
Goals: G- Chris Iannarino 6, Collin Szczepanski 4, Conner Hammond 3, Chase Buscher 2, Tim Iannarino 2, Chad Prosniewski, Brandon Klopp; D- Brady Reese 2, Jack Reiter, Brenden Gallagher, Mason Copeland, Jackson Haley. Assists: G- Tim Iannarino 3, Chase Buscher 2, Robert Jones, Nicholas Mirecki, Chad Prosniewski; D- Mason Copeland 2, Evan Willis, Jeremiah Sandy. Saves: G- Jake Jones 2, Zach Coughlin 1; D- Bryan Silva 8, Aaron Tievy 2.
