Tyngsborough Lacrosse: The Hottest Team in Central Mass?

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Saturday, May 05, 2012

Joe Parello, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

While defending Central Mass Champion Algonquin and upstart Grafton have received most of the attention, regional newcomer Tyngsborough may just be the hottest team in the district.

In their first year in Central Mass’ Mid Wach B league, after moving from Eastern Mass’ Dual County Small School league, the Tigers have flown out of the gates to record of 11-0. During that span Tyngsborough has hardly been challenged, defeating opponents by over nine goals a game. An amazing turnaround for a team that went 6-12 a year ago.

Despite his team’s dominating start, coach Bryan Ronayne believes his team will stay focused.

“We are not taking any early success for granted,” Ronayne said. “A good start is great for us but we are focused on the long hall, doing the little things right and hopefully putting together a deep tournament run."

An Explosive Offense

The Tigers have averaged nearly 14 goals a game this season, and their potent attack is led by a trio of seniors. Captain Garrett Glavin leads the attack, and his 47 points (28G, 19A) are tops on the team. Fellow senior captain Mitch McCarthy isn’t too far behind, however, with 41 points (29G, 12A). James Devlin rounds out the attack with 39 points (24G, 15A).

As good as Tyngsborough’s seniors on attack have been, Ronayne says that his athletic midfield has tied the team together and created opportunities up front. He points to younger players like junior J.T. Dick and sophomore Ben Foley as guys that have mixed in well with the senior-laden attack.

The Tigers blew teams away during their first run through Mid Wach B, but Ronayne knows that it will be a little tougher the next time his team faces league foes this year.

"One of the things we are always talking about is that teams grow into their identity as the season progresses,” Ronayne said. “No team is the same in mid-May as they are in early April. We also know we are going to get everyone's best effort, which helps us to play up.”

Underrated Defense is Key

Though the offense is turning heads, Ronayne knows everything on his team has started with defense this year. The Tigers are giving up just under 4 goals a game this season, and senior goalie Peter Latulippe has been a virtual wall in net this year.

“Our defense has been the real story this year,” Ronayne said. “We generate a lot of offense from transition- whether it's a fast break off a save, a ground ball, or a slide that creates it. We have a good combination of toughness, quickness, and intelligence in our starting three defensemen.”

Seniors Kyle Russell and Corey Laskowsky lead the defense, and Ronayne believes their toughness and smarts have helped them impose their will on opposing attackers. But, the success of the defense still comes back to the play of a four-year starter in net.

“(Latulippe) understands the game at a very high level,” Ronayne said. He directs the defense, calls the slides and makes the right adjustments. When offenses have been able to get to the cage, he is pretty tough to beat."

Making the Change

With Tyngsborough’s change in region this year, and subsequent hot start, the question becomes: How does Central Mass stack up against Eastern Mass? Well, Ronayne believes that the region is on its way up, and sees the sport growing quickly in Central Mass.

“(In Eastern Mass) Kids grow up with lacrosse as their number one sport and their skill level is so high that the game speed and intensity is second to none,” Ronayne said. “Playing against those programs makes you better, no question. In the Mid Wach, some of the teams that we competing against are still in the process of getting their programs to the next level. A lot of this is taking place at the youth level. For Central Mass, it's only a matter of time. The elite programs in Central Mass are already there and match up very well to those of Eastern Mass.”

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