Shamrocks capture city bragging rights

LYNN – When the combined English/Classical lacrosse team lost big in its opening game earlier this week, the question in coach Peter Pappagianopoulos? mind was whether his players would regroup and come out fighting or let it drag them down.He got his answer Wednesday night in an 11-4 win over Lynn Tech at Manning Field.?After the last game they could have come out with their heads hung but they didn?t,” Pappagianopoulos said. “It was a team effort. Everyone was working, the ball movement was good. I?m very happy. I liked everything out there. Everything was working. Everyone was hustling.”The Shamrocks came out flying with seniors Tony Uva and Alex Amico delivering a deadly one-two punch. Uva broke the ice with a goal 1:04 into the game and the hits just kept on coming. Amico made it 2-0 a minute or so later and found the net again with about 7:30 left in the first quarter.Tech probably would have been happy to escape the quarter down 3-0, but Uva found the net again with 10 seconds left and the Tigers found themselves in a hole without a way out.Tech coach Jay Richards saw some good things from his team despite the loss.?They?re all young. They?re learning the game. They didn?t give up. They kept playing,” he said.This was the first game for the Tigers (0-1). Lynn (1-1) lost to Southeast Regional in its opener.The second quarter looked a lot like the first for Lynn with Uva, who finished with four goals, scoring about three minutes in to put the Shamrocks up 5-0. Lynn added two goals in the next four minutes, one by Amico, who had three for the day, and another by Uva to put the Shamrocks up 7-0.Tech spoiled the shutout when Jared Johnson scored the first of his three goals a minute later, but Lynn got it right back courtesy of Adam Bryson. The Shamrocks led 8-1 at the half.The Shamrocks kept up the intensity in the third period, bumping the lead up to 11-1 on goals by Keith MacDonald, Andy Canario and Sean Hemenway. Corey Wojewodzic figured in nearly half the Lynn goals, picking up five assists. MacDonald had two. Anthony Baio was in net for most of the game and got the win.Tech made some noise in the fourth quarter. Johnson added two goals and Zachary Zimirowski was good for one. Ryan Lippert and John Essler split the game in net.Richards said his team needs to work more on learning the positions and getting the ground balls.?The ground balls killed us,” he said. “But it was a good, clean game. The hits were good. It was a lot of fun.”Pappagianopoulos is hoping the momentum will continue into Friday when the Shamrocks play Cambridge at Manning (5).?It was great to get that first win,” he said.The Tigers did have a player, Connor Robertson, go down with an injury in the final minute of the game. Robertson, a middie, is Tech?s face-off guy. He had to be helped off the field with what appeared to be a leg or ankle injury.