OCEAN CITY – The top-seeded Red Raider boys lacrosse team will face the No. 2 seed Mainland Mustangs in the Cape-Atlantic League Championship game Thursday.
Both teams earned byes in the opening round Friday and in Monday’s semifinals, Ocean City High School’s team beat No. 4 St. Joseph of Hammonton 16-1 and Mainland Regional High School’s team beat No. 3 Cedar Creek 18-6.
Ocean City jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first quarter, added three unanswered goals in the second and blanked St. Joseph 6-0 in the third. Jack Scherbin led all scorers with 6 goals. Teammate Otter Donohue had 3 and adding one each were Anthony Pontari, Liam Kazmarck, Chris Pontari, Charlie Bestirs, Cole Dessicino and Jackson Pierce. Goalie Timmy Windfelder made four saves.
The Raiders are 12-5 on the season heading into the CAL final.
The Mustangs also got off to a fast start, building a 7-1 lead in the first quarter and expanding that to 10-2 in the second. They also outscored Cedar Creek 6-2 in the fourth of the 18-6 final.
Ryan Scannell was on fire in the game, scoring 10 goals. Teammate Joe Eyde had four goals. Ty Pierce, Jack Gregory, Sean Kelly and Liam Kennedy had one each. Mustang goalie Garrett Chew turned away 13 shots on goal. Cedar Creek’s goalie, Justin McGehean, made 12 saves, but allowed the 18 goals.
The Mustangs are 11-8 this season; Cedar Creek is 16-3, atop the National Conference.
Ocean City and Mainland are 1-2 in the American Conference.