MID-PENN TITLE GAME PREVIEW 5/7

HERSHEY (18-0) VS CUMBERLAND VALLEY (16-1)

Landis Field, 7:00pm

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A game that early this spring did not seem like a for gone conclusion but as the season rolled along became more and more apparent. Two teams that have been excellent all spring will face-off for the Mid-Penn Title Thurday night at 7:00pm.

For Hershey they have been virtually unstoppable and are remarkable 18-0. Their closest game was a 8-7 win over CV on April 27th. After that Wilson got within 4 scores, Trinity within 5, but most teams saw double digit defeats to the Trojans. They have been able to out score their opponents a whopping 283-50 this spring and look to continue their run on Thursday.

For Cumberland Valley they will look to avenge their only loss. They have been tested a bit more this spring with one goal wins over Carlisle, Trinity, and State College. Outscoring their opponents 219-76 they two have seen their fair share of lopsided victories.

MORE AFTER THE BREAK

What Happened In The First Meeting

A defensive battle early saw the score at 1-1 to end the first quarter. Cumberland Valley would find their only lead of the night at the end of the first half up 4-3. Hershey would go on a 5-2 run to get an 8-6 lead midway through the 4th quarter. A couple back and forth goals and furious final two minutes saw the Trojans take the victory 9-8. Karl Van Blargen would lead all scorers with 4 goals from the midfield for Hershey. John Miller and Jeff Hamlin would have 3 goals a piece for CV.

Who To Watch

HERSHEY

Brook Briggs (A) - 39 goals, 61 assists*, 100 points*

Jake Wilson (A) - 81 goals*, 16 assists

Karl Van Blargen (M) - 40 goals, 8 assits

Michael Gadd (M) - 34 goals, 21 assists

John Fahnestock - 73 saves

*League leader in this category for the Mid-Penn

CUMBERLAND VALLEY

John Miller (M) - 39 goals, 13 assists

Stevie Peters (A) - 37 goals, 18 assists

Rod Jamieson (A) - 31 goals, 20 assists

CJ Sherlock (A) - 30 goals, 10 assists

Nic Brown - 70 saves

Game Preview

CV had an excellent game plan the first time around and we would expect to see something similar. They were able to slow down the Hershey offense with an well timed slide and recover packages and limited leading scorers Briggs and Wilson to one goal and one assist each. Hershey has studs all over the field and they where able to get a lot of good looks off the middies (Van Balrgen an Gladd) dodging from the top. Hershey' defense played very well in transition which had a huge affect on possessions and also they did not let CV get out quickly into open space/fast breaks where they are very dangerous. Jack Donahue (Colgate commit) is a terror on defense for the Trojans and was able to limit CV's attackman Stevie Peters (Villanova verbal) to just 2 assists on the night. Look for another great match-up their tomorrow night. 

In their first meeting both teams were effective at taking the other out of their comfort zones offensively so we fully expect them to utilize those tactics again in the championship game. With that said both Coach Bogazyck and Coach Schein are excellent lacrosse minds and will more than likely have new game plans on both sides of the ball. Goal Keepers Nic Brown (CV) and John Fahnestock (Hershey) both played very well the first time around and will be key to their teams success.

If this game is anything like the first go around we are in for a great night of lacrosse. Hershey looks for their 5th Mid-Penn title in the past 7 seasons. Cumberland Valley is playing for their second since their 2010 championship.