Wahconah Edges East Longmeadow in Western Mass Final

PITTSFIELD, Mass. The Wahconah boys lacrosse team won its second Western Mass Class B Championship in three years after beating East Longmeadow, 9-8, on Tuesday at BCC. 

 

Wahconah and East Longmeadow battled from start to finish in this intense contest. 

 

East Longmeadow beat Wahconah earlier this month by one in a 15-14 high scoring game. Their rematch, while having the same intensity, was dominated by defense. 

 

East Longmeadow got on the board first with a goal by Shane Becker, his only goal of the night. It didn’t take long for Wahconah star Rylan Padelford to even it out with 1 of his 5 goals of the contest and created a spark for the No. 1 seed, who then scored two more goals in a row before an answer from East Longmeadow to end the quarter 3-2.

 

In the second quarter, seven goals were scored total, four from Wahconah and three by the Spartans’ Jakob Robidoux. The score was 7-5 at the half.

 

Wahconah’s Joanathan Howard and Jacob Thomas provided their team with all of its offense – and all it needed – in the second half, each scoring a goal in the third quarter.

 

Wahconah’s defense was able to shine in the second half and their goalie had multiple great saves to help them secure their victory. The defense was able to hold the Spartans to three goals in the second half which included a scoreless fourth quarter. 

 

Wahconah learns Wednesday who it will open the Division 4 State Tournament against. The last time Wahconah won a Western Mass title, in 2022, it went on to win it all in the state tourney.