Tandem Friends’ boys lacrosse team’s bench isn’t deep. On top of that, the Quakers were missing a couple of players.
But late in the fourth quarter and then in overtime, Tandem kept finding ways to score and eventually gutted out an 11-10 overtime victory over Fishburne.
“The guys just persevere, they just kept on going after it,” said Tandem coach Al Sadtler
Logan Ratzlaff, a freshman, scored his fourth goal of the game in overtime for the Quakers to push Tandem to the victory.
“I was sitting on the right side and I saw Rodes (Jarman) get the ball up top,” Ratzlaff said. “I saw an opening and just ran to it and he threw it to me.”
The Quakers trailed Fishburne 7-6 at the break, but a winning margin in faceoffs of 13-7 driven largely by Daake Browne helped keep Tandem within striking distance. The Quakers struck with a four-goal run that included Noah Tinsley equalizing with 5:15 to play, followed by Browne scoring off a faceoff just seconds later.
Fishburne managed to even the game at 10-10 with 1:10 to play on a goal that eventually forced overtime. That set the stage for Ratzlaff’s heroics.
“A lot of them play soccer but this game is pretty new to a lot of them,” Sadtler said. “It’s really fun to see them enjoy it and have fun and make all this work we’re doing worthwhile.”
A big reason the Quakers got in position to make that late surge and win in overtime was goalie Carson Jones-Wilkins’ incredible effort in the cage with 18 saves on the night.
Ratlaff finished with four goals and an assist while Rodes Jarman rang up five assists on the afternoon. Tinsley had a hat trick and Eli Ratzaff had two goals and three assists. Jimmy McDonnell had the Quakers’ other goal.
