Yahoo Sports Green Level beats Lake Norman in overtime, wins first NCHSAA 4A boys’ lacrosse title
Green Level’s boys’ lacrosse team might not be as fast as the Gators’ volleyball team.
The Raleigh-area school’s volleyball team won an N.C. 4A state championship in their third season three years ago. Friday night on a rain-soaked Willie Bradshaw Field at Durham County Memorial Stadium, Green Level’s lacrosse team was fast enough to earn an 11-10 overtime victory over Lake Norman for its first state championship.
These Gators, like their volleyball counterparts, became the fastest team to win a 4A lacrosse state championship (five seasons) since their school’s opening in 2019.
“We know they’re going to make plays. They’ve done it for the last four years,” Green Level coach Kyle Sopko said. “They’re willing to make plays for their teammates.”
Green Level midfielder Austin Hryn (assisted by Gus Maggio) netted his fourth and championship-clinching goal with 2:47 on the clock in the first overtime session. Hryn scored the Gators’ first two goals to help Green Level to a 3-1 lead after the opening period, in which Maggio scored, too.
“Coming in as a class, we knew we had something special,” Hryn said. “When you realize that, you just work towards that for four years.
“At the end of the day, this is what you dream about.”
Green Level (22-2) seemed poised to close the game in regulation. Then, Lake Norman goalkeeper John Torphy made a play. With 20 seconds remaining, Torphy’s pass ahead to Hayden Cichon covered most of the field before Cichon drove home a game-tying goal with four seconds left. Cichon’s goal was the Wildcats’ third in the final 1:09, including scores by Brandon DeBerardinis and Pete Geraffo, the latter with 45 seconds remaining. Lake Norman began its rally from a 10-6 deficit on Cannon Wigginton’s unassisted goal.
“It’s nice knowing we can make it and take it,” Sopko said. “We can go down a little bit and be able to respond because we know we’re going to get the ball back.”
Green Level faceoff specialist Josh Smith controlled draw after draw and surpassed 1,000 career faceoff wins in his final high school game. Smith, still, was more excited for Hryn.
“Here’s the best lacrosse player in the 919 (area code) — this guy right here,” Smith exclaimed while Hryn was being interviewed.
Hryn, clutching his championship MVP trophy, reciprocated.
“He’s a legend,” Hryn said of Smith before acknowledging Smith’s milestone. “This (championship MVP) could have gone both ways.”
Jackson Spells added three goals and one assist for the victors.
Green Level led 6-2 at halftime, thanks to two second quarter goals by Kelan Moore, and 8-5 entering the final stanza. Cichon and Brady Johnson exchanged goal and assist roles (with Johnson scoring first) on back-to-back goals before Wigginton ripped a heater with 1:02 left in the third period to cut the Gators’ eight-goals lead in half.
DeBerardinis, who scored Lake Norman’s first goal with 4:45 left in the first period, opened the fourth quarter’s scoring with his second goal.
Lake Norman (18-5) was in its sixth state final, including runner-up finishes in 2017, 2016, and 2013. The Wildcats earned top honors in 2018 and 2012. The Wildcats had a goal negated by a timeout called with 9:43 remaining and just before the ball found the net.
