Fighting Saints Boys Lacrosse roll past Redhawks in IHSA sectional win
The Fighting Saints delivered a statement performance Tuesday night in Naperville, knocking off sixth-seeded Naperville Central as the No. 10 seed in an impressive IHSA sectional victory. St. Charles East set the tone with a sharp defensive effort and steady possession game, then let its balanced attack take over from there.
Freshman goalie Jackson Schiffbauer anchored the Saints from the start, turning away 15 shots against a dangerous Redhawks offense filled with outside shooters. In front of him, junior captain Nate Sokolowski and sophomore Ryder Price helped make life difficult all evening. Sokolowski finished with six ground balls and four caused turnovers, while Price added five ground balls and six caused turnovers against Naperville Central's top matchup. That defensive group played physically, communicated well and helped St. Charles East build control early.
On the offensive end, the Saints showed patience and precision against a tough, well-coached defense. Christian Hirniak sparked the attack with several big dodges and outside shots on the way to five goals and two assists. Anthony Solare was a constant finisher around the crease, finding space off the ball for doorstep chances and totaling five goals with one assist. Alex Wilko played a massive role in the outcome by winning faceoffs throughout the night, giving St. Charles East extra possessions and adding three goals and two assists of his own.
The Saints also got strong production from the rest of the offense. Captain Chase Isacson quarterbacked the unit effectively, picking apart the defense with crisp passing and finishing with one goal and three assists. Frank Solare added three goals and one assist, and Jack Galivan contributed one goal and one assist. With so many players involved, St. Charles East kept pressure on Naperville Central and consistently turned possessions into quality chances.
That complete effort, faceoff wins, poised offense, tough defense and clutch saves, powered the Fighting Saints to one of their biggest wins of the postseason. As a No. 10 seed, St. Charles East rose to the challenge against a higher-seeded opponent and advanced with the kind of confident, connected lacrosse that can carry momentum deeper into May. The Saints will travel to Downers South on Friday to face Wheaton Warrenville at 7 pm in the Sectional Semi Final.
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