Wolves Hold Jay Fest Over Greeley

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Jay Fest had the boys lacrosse team right in the middle of the annual celebration with the 12 O’Clock game at Contest Field. Horace Greeley the serving, the Wolves jumped out to an 8-2 first half lead. But Quakers refused to be cooked, and John Jay seemed to oblige. “We came out of the half a little nonchalant,” said Andrew Kiefer, and the score closing to 9-6, a reset was needed.

“I hadn’t done much before that, so I decided to take it myself,” said Brendan Corelli, and the attacker’s run stopping initiative proved crucial in the 13-8 victory.

Up with the festivities, Jay didn’t wait long to get started. Dom Savastano sent the draw skyward, Kiefer came down with it, and the setup had Jon Altneu holding the ball on the right. He waited, Logan Bueti made his cut as the trailer and fired away for a 1-0 lead at 11:24.

The draw going the other way quickly had Greeley committing a turnover, and the home team was off again. This time Altneu went around the pick and fired over his shoulder for a 2-0 lead.

In at 9:06, Savastano remained grounded next. The ball stayed low, he burrowed through the morass for possession, and Luca Duva would attempt to follow up.

The attacker came from behind, jumped on the turn and fired from the left. But Toby Moskow reached up and made good with his catcher.

Unfortunately, the transition up field didn’t let the goalie off the hook. John Jay scooped up the turnover, and Kiefer got on the locomotive. With a full head of steam, he charged straight on and windmilled past Moskow for a 3-0 lead at 7:47.

The draw for Greeley at midfield had both teams forcing turnovers. First James Arefieg harassed the Quaker attack for possession, and Greeley returned the favor in the end zone. No problem, Connor Lummel shot into the side of the net, and Blake O’Callaghan easily secured the ball.

Up the field to Arefieg, John Jay called time, and the Wolves made the most of the conversation. From back to front, Corelli hit Kiefer, and at 6:14, the middie had the second of five goals.

The turnovers going back and forth again, Greeley got a good look this time. On the wraparound, Jameson Blakeslee stayed low, but his underhand swing was caught on the bounce by O’Callaghan.

John Jay - despite Bueti’s best efforts - was unable to turn defense into offense. Almost getting through a congregation of Quakers, he lost the ball past midfield, and Greeley now did the grunting. Specifically Blakeslee, he charged down the throats of three Wolves from the left and willed enough swing to beat O’Callaghan.

A 4-1 game at 1:40, Savastano started the scramble, and Kiefer cracked the egg. Picking up the ball on the John Jay side, he rushed forward and swung away to close the first period scoring at 5-1.

But the momentum didn’t carry. Matthew Byrne danced to the left of O’Callaghan, and in the face of two defenders, he went sidearm into the goal at 10:51.

So a quick answer would obviously be optimum, and Savastano’s draw win had him in position to do so on the fly. “When I’m running down, I’m seeing what the defense gives me,” the junior said.

Either they stick on Duva or leave open a lane, and no need to pass on the right, Savastano raced forward for the score.

A four goal lead back with 10:42 left in the half, John Jay kept the accelerator down, and a high pass from behind didn’t help the Quakers cause. On the case, Arefieg got the scoop, broke upfield and left the rest to Duva. The senior received at the thirty, cut in and fired backhand for a 7-2 lead.

At 8:21, overall fortune looked as though it might change when O’Callaghan went down on Lummel’s sidearm. Out of the game, the starter gave way to Dylan Geary, who took coming in cold in stride. “I’ve been practicing everyday for this moment, and we’ve got the best shooters. So I’m ready,” said the backup.

Greeley actually helped him break the ice with an errant pass into the middle. A soft lob, his first save was an easy one, but the offense was soon back. On a pass from behind, Jason Kim was set up at point blank. True to his words, Geary gobbled up the low ball.

Four minutes to go, Jay maintained possession, and Kiefer eventually brought the inevitable. He received the ball on the right from Bueti and went sidearm at :45.9 to close the half.

An 8-2 game, Jay remained in gear. After Geary made big saves on both sides of the net, Kiefer took the cue. The senior took the pass from Altneu, cut around the lone defender and went over his left shoulder for a seven goal lead.

9:22 to go in third, John Jay’s comfort level was about to unravel. Byrne scored on the wrap-around at 5:10, and after Moskow snared Duva’s overhand, the goalie connected on a long bomb to Byrne. Easy pickings, Byrne dished to Kim, and it was 9-4 at 2:12.

50 seconds later Lummel added another, and Moskow kept it there. He made two saves on Duva and closed the third on Bueti’s falling down shot in front.

Altneu almost stopped the run first, though. He hit the post at 11:01. But Greeley was not impressed, and Byrne had the wrap around on rewind. A quick release on the turn, it was a three goal game.

Of course, a draw win would be nice, and Savastano took it on the whistle. No apologies, Corelli was quick to share credit on his low post goal. “They were blocking off Justin Shapiro. So he came and set a pick for me,” said the junior.

But Greeley didn’t get the message in terms of momentum. On the down low from behind, Luke Kaplow threaded a perfect pass to Kim, and at 6:53, it was a three goal game again.

The draw to Savastano, the offense could not take advantage, so John Jay hinged their hopes on Geary. On point, his catcher had Lummel’s shot from the left and then the goalie got some help from Kiefer, who recently scored his 100th career goal.

On a lob from behind, the middie leaped and made the pick. “He really saved us there,” Geary sighed.

A big exhale was next. John Jay went right up the field, Duva passed to Altneu in the middle, and he fired away for an 11-7 lead.

5:22 left, another Savastano draw win still didn’t end it. The Quakers taking control, Lummel was on the doorstep, but Geary had the knock, according to Kiefer. “Dylan stood on his head,” said the senior.

Four minutes remaining, Byrne did come back a minute later to get within three, and Savastano knew he was on the docket again. “Your life is on the line. You got to go out there and get the ball,” said the draw man, who now has 600 career wins.

More scramble this time, the bounce was eventually in Savastano’s sights. “You got to put your nose down and grunt through it like a badass,” he extolled.

Coming away with the ball, he had his team sitting pretty, and Altneu had the final look. Down the left, he drew the defense, and Justin Shapiro was left open out front. No chance for Moskow, and Kiefer put a cap on the day. “It was an all around team win,” he concluded.