File:Lacrosse 2019 Josh Cadle takes a shot on goal against Thomas Johnson goalie Seth Henry April 23, 2019.jpg

Summary

Pratt taking on invaluable role at faceoff X for Railroaders By Joe Ferraro

Photo: Brunswick’s Josh Cadle takes a shot on goal against Thomas Johnson goalie Seth Henry in the second quarter of Tuesday’s game at Brunswick High School Photo by Bill Green

BRUNSWICK — Ever since he got wind of Josh Pratt transferring to Brunswick from Good Counsel in January, Layne Harich went into recruiting mode. “I was always on him for getting back out there and being with the boys,” the Railroaders senior midfielder said Tuesday, when the Railroaders held on for a 20-14 victory over Thomas Johnson. The poking and prodding worked, and no one may be more appreciative than Harich, who took all the faceoffs last year in addition to assuming his role as the leading scorer on the team. “It gives Lane a breather,” Railroaders defenseman Ryan Shaffer said. “Last year, he did every faceoff, and he’d come off winded and tired. So now we have a FOGO, and he gets the job done.” Pratt won 19 of 35 faceoffs against the Patriots, and Brunswick coach John Kostolansky pointed out that the sophomore’s work at the faceoff X in the team’s upset victory over Oakdale last Thursday, particularly in the second quarter, played a big role in the outcome of the game. Brunswick (5-4) held an 8-6 advantage at halftime on its way to a 13-10 victory. “Getting possessions in lacrosse is key, and because of Pratt at the X, we’re getting the possessions that we need, and we’re not finding ourselves on defense much,” Kostolansky said. “He’s a huge part of our team now and going forward.” Pratt, who lives in Brunswick’s school district and also plays football, said he yearned to reunite with his family and some of his former teammates on youth football teams. He had only been a faceoff man as an eighth-grader prior to joining the lacrosse team this season, but he’s glad Harich kept pushing him to join the Railroaders. “I really like what we’ve been doing this season,” Pratt said. “Hopefully, we can keep it up and we can have a good run in the playoffs.” His addition to the team allows Harich to do more of what he did on Tuesday, when he piled up six goals and six assists. “It’s a monkey off my back,” Harich said. “Josh, he’s improved so much from the faceoff from this year to last year. He’s already better than me at the faceoff X than I ever was.” Since he became a varsity player as a freshman, Harich has always received plenty of help from senior attackman Jacob Cadle, who had two goals and three assists on Tuesday. Cadle twisted his knee with 1 minute, 15 seconds left in the third quarter, bringing about an eerie hush in the entire stadium as he lay motionless for a while on the side of the field opposite the team benches. Cadle, who did not return to action after being carted over to his bench, later said he’d be ready for Brunswick’s game at Linganore on Thursday. For Harich, the Railroaders’ attack lost its overall effectiveness without his longtime running mate on the field. “Me and him, we’ve been on varsity since freshman year, and he’s like my brother out there,” Harich said. “Without him, [the offense] wasn’t as smooth. He’s definitely a big leader and a big voice out there.” Before Cadle exited the game, others on the team also made significant offensive contributions, with J.T. Harich finishing with three goals and two assists and Cameron Cornett also scoring three times. Joshua Cadle and Nathan Hull (one assist) each had two goals, Daniel Polyniak added a goal and an assist, and Aidan Rosenberg scored a goal. After Cadle’s departure, Brunswick managed just one goal, but that’s where Shaffer, who has only been playing lacrosse for two years, and an inexperienced Railroaders defense kept the Patriots (4-5) from overtaking them in the final quarter. Goalie Andrew Held played a big role, recording five of his 11 saves in the fourth quarter. “He made some good saves when we needed him the most,” Shaffer said. “He’s been working hard all season. He found it at Oakdale. He’s been clicking.” Trailing 10-3 after the first quarter, TJ found its footing the rest of the contest, with Charlie Cornell (one goal, five assists) and Gabe Brewster (six goals) leading the way. Mark Cox added three goals, Cole Platz and Aidan Gilsdorf each scored two goals, and Alex Donitzen had two assists. “Our defense figured it out [after the first quarter],” Patriots coach Danny Cleveland said. “We didn’t shut them down or anything, but at least they weren’t crazy opportunities, and we were getting a few more ground balls. “If we can get the ball on offense, we can score, but we just had a hard time picking the ball up, controlling the ball and getting it on our side of the field.”