The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
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Hornets stretch winning streak to three with 8-4 win
7-0 run over two- period stretch helps Saline over .500
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: April 17, 2008
The Saline lacrosse team's season-opening loss brought a long regular-season winning streak to and end. But it looks like the Hornets might now be working on another one.
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Saline won its third straight game Tuesday night, 8-4 over visiting West Bloomfield. The Hawks took a 3-1 first period lead before the Hornets ripped off seven unanswered goals through three periods to seize control and eventually take a comfortable win.
"I think this was our most consistent performance of the season, first quarter to fourth quarter," said head coach John Harris. "We came out with a very good level of intensity and really bounced back after falling behind. We took the momentum of the game and never let it go after that."
After beginning the season 0-2, Saline now stands at 3-2 overall.
The Hornets slipped behind by two goals in the early going, but Matt Dysko, Scott Harris and Nick Schineman each tallied in the period to even the game at three entering the second frame.
Bobby Bianchi had already picked up one assist before adding two more in the second quarter, helping Harris to his second of the game to give Saline the lead at 4-3 and Shane Jay-Garfein to a goal with 6:15 left in the half to put the Hornets up 5-3 at the break.
Bianchi turned scorer after the break, scoring following a pass from Ryan Luke to stretch Saline's lead to 6-3 with 6:28 left in the third quarter. Bianchi then added his fourth assist on Schineman's second and an unassisted Jacob Fosdick score would follow with 2:51 in the period to send Saline into the fourth quarter with a commanding 8-3 lead.
"We really distributed the ball well tonight," Harris said. "Bobby Bianchi was our quarterback out there. He controlled the pace of our play and made some stellar p asses that put guys in position to score. That's what you want from your X-attack guy."
While the Hornets were racking up goals on the offensive end, the Saline defense — led by Brad Crimmins, Preston Mueller, and Brad Perino and backstopped by goalie Kyle Brown — held Bloomfield scoreless for more than two complete quarters.
"Kyle made some great saves that really kept us in it. We were sliding our feet really well and played to take away their dominant hands," Harris said. "We felt like we kept them from being able to get off many good shots."
The Hawks finally broke their scoreless drought in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter, but could come no closer.
With the Bloomfield win following a 17-2 blasting of Salem on Saturday, Harris is confident his team is ready to take on the rugged next week of its schedule, including a trip to Birmingham Seaholm Thursday and a home date with Novi 7 p.m. Wednesday.
"We spent a little too much time in the penalty box tonight, but we definitely feel like we've got some momentum now," he said. "Our best lacrosse is ahead of us. The effort is there and we're starting to see the results we expected."
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