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Well before donning a lacrosse jersey, DeMatha High School senior Ryan Brant had earned the nickname "Nugget." The moniker was enhanced further when he wore a yellow tuxedo to his senior prom earlier this month.
Late in the second period of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference lacrosse championship at the University of Maryland's Ludwig Field Tuesday evening, Brant, a senior goalie, made his finest of 10 saves and helped the Stags earn gold again.
With his team trailing, 4-2, late in the second quarter, Brant ranged far to his left to make a save on a shot by Will Fejes. Brant vacated the mouth of the goal as the ball quickly made its way back to Ryken attacker Addison Goodley. As Goodley cradled the ball and fired a wrist shot in one motion, Brant scrambled back to his right and made a diving save with his outstretched stick in his right hand. A minute later, a shot by Connor Cook, who had three goals for the Knights, hit the left post.
"I usually don't worry too much about being in position," said Brant, a Silver Spring resident who is heading to Ohio State University this fall to play lacrosse and major in sports management. "I try to play by feel and get a good understanding of where the play is headed. The last time we played I did a good job on Connor, but tonight he had my number. He's quick and aggressive and he shoots low to the ground, so it's tough to pick up his shots."
Ryken scored three goals in the opening seven minutes of play before DeMatha got on the board when senior Kyle Clise netted his first of two goals. Stags' senior Tommy Chroniger started the second period scoring with his first of two goals, but Cook gave the Knights a two-goal lead with 6 minutes,
31 seconds remaining in the first half. Cook and Goodley were literally inches away from giving Ryken a four-goal lead at the intermission.
Soon after DeMatha senior Michael Williams was ejected and the Stags were forced to play a man down midway through the third period, Ryken took a 5-3 lead on a shot by Brennan. But the Stags responded with three goals during a 91-second span to claim a 6-5 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Ryan Belka brought them to within a goal, and senior Patrick Harbeson and Chroniger scored goals 10 seconds apart to give the Stags their first lead.
"That was a huge momentum swing right there," Brant said. "We took a time out after Michael got sent off and the seniors all talked about staying composed and making plays. The coaches usually do most of the talking during the timeouts, but the seniors all spoke up and said that we had to put everything behind us and finish the game strong."
The teams traded goals early in the fourth quarter and Ryken tied it at 7-7 when Brennan netted his third with 2:22 remaining. But the Stags again answered quickly and emphatically as Clise recorded his second goal 10 seconds later and Harbeson completed his hat trick with a wrap-around goal with 1:37 remaining. DeMatha dominated much of the last 90 seconds and Brant made one last save with 10 seconds remaining to end the drama.
E-mail Ted Black at tblack@gazette.net.
