Perrysburg senior attack Cameron Davidson celebrates scoring his game-winner during a 3-2 victory over Sylvania Northview Thursday. (Photo by Scott Grau/Sentinel-Tribune)
SYLVANIA — Perrysburg senior attack Cameron Davidson scored the game-winner on a 45-foot shot with 3:36 remaining to give the Yellow Jackets a 3-2 Northern Lakes League boys lacrosse victory over Northview Thursday.
“We put a lot on Cam, and I think tonight shows why we do it and why we put so much weight on him,” Perrysburg sophomore goalie Nathan Ettore said.
“He really pulled through for us tonight, and also against (in win over league leader) Southview (last week) he came through for us.”
Davidson scored on a feed from senior defenseman Ethan Johnson, who was carrying the long pole on offense, a strategy not often used.
“That’s just part of the way we make it up,” Perrysburg coach Baily Weatherwax said. “Sometimes we throw Ethan out there (on offense).
“He’s got a good stick, he’s got a good shot, so we mix it into the look and he’s a good feeder as well, so he can get a good assist when we need him to.”
However, the Yellow Jackets would never have survived to that point without the play of sophomore goalie Nathan Ettore, who made 11 saves in holding the Wildcats to two goals.
“I think he’s been doing that all season long,” Weatherwax said. “We just had to make sure our defense was playing in a way that sets up Nate for success.
“We were trying to keep shots further away, but obviously Nate is a great goalie, so he can make some of those close-up shots and match up really well, and I’m super proud of all of them today.”
Ettore added, “I think the credit really goes to the defense. I made my saves when saves counted, but the defense kept us in there so the offense could get more chances.”
Even after Davidson’s would-be game-winner, there was still plenty of time for Northview, which was able to take advantage of two late Perrysburg turnovers to get three more chances to tie, but two shots went wide.
However, Northview junior attack Liam Deising was just feet away from the crease when he fired a potential game-tying shot at Ettore, and the Perrysburg goalie made the stop with 1:15 remaining.
Taking on a lacrosse ball, which is about the size and hardness of a baseball and can come at the goalie with a fastball velocity, requires fortitude and the right strategic mindset.
“You’re just trying to keep your eye on it, I guess,” Ettore said. “You’re really just trying to hold their offense and figure out what their plays were.
“They were running a lot of set plays, so you’re trying to break those down and see where we could stop them.”
It was not just Ettore. Northview senior goalie Reilly Cripe made 16 saves to keep a usually high-scoring Perrysburg team to three goals.
“Coach George (Brown), our goalie coach, was saying the same thing — he was going up and beyond getting the saves that he should have made, and he was making the saves that we didn’t think he would typically make, so tops to him for having a heck of a game,” Weatherwax said.
“He took some really big shots from our guys and obviously kept the score low.”
Northview coach Kody Bonner said Cripe responded well after the Wildcats lost to Sylvania Southview, 16-4, last week.
“They both (Ettore and Cripe) stood on their head for sure,” Bonner said. “Riley — I’m real proud of him.
“He had a bit of a time against Southview and was able to come back in this game and get his head together and be able to really stand on his head and really be a big part of our team, and he really carried us, and hopefully that carries on to the rest of the season.”
Perrysburg outshot Northview, 31-23, and Perrysburg took 7-of-9 faceoffs, most of them pitting the face-off specialists, Perrysburg junior Alexander Birch against Northview junior Landen Martinez.
For Perrysburg, sophomore attacks Zachary Schroeder and Jack Hammond also scored goals, with Johnson getting the assist on Hammond’s third quarter goal, too.
Only this time it was a different play — Johnson retrieved a ground ball deep in his defensive zone, brought the ball downfield until he got 30 feet from the crease, and fired a pass to Hammond, who scored.
For the Wildcats, Guilford scored in the first quarter and junior midfielder Trevor Evanski scored on a 55-foot shot in the third quarter.
The game was a must-win for both teams as Southview leads the league with just one loss, which was to Perrysburg, the two-time defending champions.
Perrysburg (6-4 overall), Bowling Green and Perrysburg have two losses, and Anthony Wayne and Northview (3-7 overall) have three losses.
“Since I’ve been back coaching in the NLL for the last seven years, this has been the most open its been,” Bonner said.
“This is the most parody that we’ve had in the NLL and that’s good to see. I think it’s really a good thing for Toledo area lacrosse and I hope to see it going forward.”
