Boys lacrosse: Jurkowski's goal gives Red Hook overtime win over defending champ Lourdes

The entire sequence, Adam Jurkowski said, felt like it was playing in slow motion.

"For a few seconds, it was a blur," the Red Hook senior said Friday evening. "It was almost like a dream."

But one he made come true by scoring the winning goal in overtime as the visiting Raiders earned a 6-5 win over newfound lacrosse rival Our Lady of Lourdes.

Jurkowski got a step of separation inside the 8-meter arc, took a quick pass from Danny Cashen and fired a bouncer into the left corner that initiated an uproarious celebration that began with teammates hoisting him into the air.

"We just grabbed him and picked him up, gave him the glory he deserved," Nate Strassberger said. "Overtime wins are always exciting, and especially in this situation, so we got swept up in the moment."

These teams compete in the same division so each of their matchups is significant, of course. But this excitement, for them, had been delayed almost a year. It was because Red Hook had put together a brilliant season, carrying a 13-game win streak into the Section 9 final last spring, that it hurt so much to have it abruptly ended by Lourdes.

An April victory obviously doesn't equate to a championship, but being on the favorable end of a "hard-fought" game against that opponent was somewhat cathartic and, Jurkowski said, gave them an emotional pick-me-up.

A literal one, too, as Chris Macri was the first to bear-hug him.

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"It's huge," Raiders coach Rich Saulino said of the win. "This was one we marked on the calendar. The boys who were on the team last year certainly had that loss in mind, so we were eager for an opportunity to face them again."

Red Hook led for almost the entirety of the match, but Lourdes tied it twice in the fourth quarter, including Drew Cornax's fifth goal with 27 seconds remaining in regulation. Both defenses dominated, but the Marist College-bound star scored three times in the fourth, leading a comeback attempt.

John Macri had two goals and an assist, and Jurkowski scored twice for the Raiders (4-4). Cashen and Landon Ramsey each added a goal, Strassberger had an assist and won nine faceoffs, and Jack Melious made six saves.

Ramsey and Matt Mulkins anchored a physical defense that did well to contain an explosive Lourdes squad. Three times the Warriors had promising fast breaks nullified on turnovers near the crease, and Melious deflected a low shot on a breakaway with 4:22 remaining in regulation.

Lourdes also slowed a talented offense, its zone defense forcing the Raiders to operate meticulously from the 'X.' Atticus Eglinski had seven saves and Ivan Heunis recovered three groundballs for the Warriors (3-3). They were without standout defender Patrick Faughnan, who was lost to a torn ACL during basketball season.

"I think the excitement was a factor in that," Saulino said of his defense, whose five goals allowed was the fewest since a win over Highland last May. "Our guys were so excited to get into this game, the energy level was high and they executed the plan very well."

Jurkowski's goal on a put-back gave Red Hook a 4-2 lead with 53 seconds left in the first half. Cornax tied it at 4, firing a liner from 17 yards with 6:49 remaining. Macri retook the lead with 1:24 to go, before Cornax forced overtime.

"The way our season ended was really frustrating," Jurkowski said of the 14-10 loss in which Lourdes captured its first Class C section title. "But I'm proud of the way we kept our heads up and let it be motivation to work our (butts) off in the offseason."

The Raiders also have done this without Brady Kelly, a dynamic weapon who emerged last year as one of the best facilitators in the section. The sophomore suffered a torn meniscus during the basketball season and will have to recuperate throughout the spring. That, teammates said, was "a huge loss" that has forced schematic adjustments.

Still, Saulino lauded the efforts of the players who've stepped up in his absence. Cashen has helped orchestrate the offense and is coming into his own, he said, as are brothers John and Chris Macri, and Lucas Flores.

Strassberger, who starred last season as a faceoff specialist, has taken on a more significant role in the offense after "working to refine my skillset."

"That was the mindset in the offseason, 'How can I help the team?'" he said. "We've shown perseverance, in this game and overall, because our focus throughout the offseason was getting better and giving ourselves another chance at the section."

For their efforts, the Raiders treated themselves to ice cream on Saturday morning. Well, for a cause. The lacrosse team took part in its annual "Ice Cream for Breakfast" fundraiser at the Holy Cow parlor in Red Hook, with proceeds from the event benefitting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The charity was inspired by Jake Marshall, a beloved former Red Hook student who survived childhood brain cancer with the help of St. Jude. Money for the hospital is raised through the sale of ice cream and individual donations.

"Jake was a huge presence in the community, always at sporting events, and he has an incredible zest for life," Saulino said of the 2016 graduate, who now is pursuing a teaching degree. "To have one of our own be a survivor, we always want to give back."

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Boys lacrosse: Jurkowski's goal gives Red Hook overtime win over defending champ Lourdes