Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/14/18
Staff Report
Avon Grove, the No. 1 team in the Phillylacrosse.com Boys’ Rankings, will host No. 4 Central Bucks East today at 1 p.m. in a battle of unbeaten teams that met in last year’s PIAA Class AAA semifinals.
The host Devils enter play with a 5-0 mark (4-0 in the Ches-Mont League) while CB East is 6-0 (1-0 in the Suburban One National).
Last year these teams met twice as Avon Grove won, 8-3, in the regular season and then 7-5 in the state semifinals before it claimed its first state crown with an overtime win over Conestoga.
Both teams have standout defenses and solid goalies; the Devils have allowed only 17 goals while East has yielded just 11 goals in six games. East goaltender Liam Rosenthal a 2019 committed to Robert Morris, and Avon Grove netminder Andrew Spencer (2018) are keys.
Both teams also are strong at the face-off X where Avon Grove’s Nate Hammond (2018, committed to Navy) and Michael Ott (2018, signed with Rutgers, also plays both ways) will square off.
The Avon Grove offense has been led by Maryland signee Jake Smith (8 goals, 3 assists), Cabrini commit Joe Borcky (7 goals, 4 assists), Jason Lengel (7 goals, 1 assist), Air Force commit Zach Augustine (6 goals, 3 assists) and Nick Chastain (five goals, 3 assists).
East’s offense has been led by 2019 Sacred Heart commit Ryan Stout (15 goals, 5 assists), Ott (10 goals, 8 assists), Ryan Bullotta (10 goals, 3 assists) and Jacob Manion (six goals).
The Devils’ defense is led by Yale commit Bryce DeMuth, a First-Team All-Phillylacrosse.com pick last year; and all-around middie, Scooter Whiteside, a Monmouth signee who was a First Team pick at short-stick midfield. East’s defense features John Galow, Jake Kueny, Tyler Tracy and Nick Lyons.
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