Tatro, Wicks Lead Hoosac Valley Past Pittsfield

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – A lot went right for the Hoosac Valley boys lacrosse team in Friday’s 9-6 win over Pittsfield.

 

But enough went wrong to keep the Hurricanes busy for the next couple of days.

 

“A lot of things [we can work on],” Hoosac Valley coach Jacob Anderson-Hall said after Hoosac Valley earned its second win in two days. “From that aspect, it was a great game for us because I get a lot of things I can do at practice now. 

 

“Honestly, it’s just the little things that we’re not doing right. I told them in one of the timeouts, it looked like we were in a circus.”

 

The main attractions, offensively, were Kadan Tatro and Adan Wicks, who each registered a hat trick.

 

At the other end of the field, Max Griffin stopped 10 shots to earn the win in goal.

 

And as much as Anderson-Hall can find areas where the team needs to improve, he also is encouraged that there is room for growth in a team that has started the season 2-1.

 

“I told them, ‘I see greatness in you, but we’ve got to clean it up,’ “ he said. “That’s what good teams do: They win when they’re not at their best.”

 

Wicks started the game with a goal from high on the left wing in the second minute of play. He scored again two minutes later to give his team a 2-0 lead.

 

But Pittsfield answered with goals from Javon Jones and Ray Lynch – the second on a man up – to tie the game, 2-2, after the first quarter.

 

Unlike Thursday’s win, when the Hurricanes managed just two goals in the first half, Hoosac Valley was more efficient in the first two quarters on Friday.

 

Wicks, Brayden Villnave and Tatro scored in the first six minutes of the second quarter to put Hoosac Valley up, 5-2.

 

Another man-up opportunity for the Generals led to a Nate Discoe goal assisted by Cody Soper to make it a two-goal margin heading into half-time.

 

Tatro scored his second of the game early in the third to make it 6-3, and it was a four-goal lead early in the fourth when Pittsfield was flagged for two penalties on the same play, one for one minute and a two-minute call for a blow to the head.

 

Hoosac Valley’s Liam Berryman scored in the two-man advantage to make it 9-4, but Pittsfield killed off the rest of the two-minute call.

 

Although Pittsfield coach J. Noah Tullock was disappointed to see penalties hamper his squad, he was encouraged that his team did not let the game get out of hand.

 

“I feel like our defense and our poles, along with our goalie, Hunter [Christman] … are one of the stronger points of our team,” Tullock said. “The nice thing is we’ve been able to run pretty deep into the bench, so when we do get in penalty trouble, we have subs that can go in and kill. And they’re just as good at defending the line as our first string.”

 

Christman made 12 saves for Pittsfield on Friday night.

 

After the Generals got back to even strength, Hoosac Valley gave up a couple of man advantages down the stretch. Lynch made the Hurricanes pay, scoring twice in the last eight minutes to complete his hat trick and get the margin back to three goals.

 

“I feel like we battled back and we didn’t ever take ourselves out of the game,” Tullock said. “I think we got into some penalty trouble, which is hopefully not going to be a theme this year.

 

“I think that’s what the difference was. They scored on the man-up a couple of times, and a three-goal gap isn’t a lot in this sport by any means. I’m proud of the resiliency my guys showed tonight, and we’re going to adjust this weekend and try to get ready to face Wahconah on Monday.”

 

Pittsfield (1-2) goes to Dalton to face Wahconah on Monday evening.

 

Hoosac Valley (2-1) is back at BCC on Monday to play Monson.