Lincoln Academy boys’ lacrosse team watched the KVAC championship slip through their fingers with 18 seconds to go under the lights in Bath on June 4. Dillon Hendsbee tied the score for Gardiner with 15 seconds remaining, and Seth Wing scored the game winner with 45 seconds remaining in overtime to lift Gardiner to the title, winning the game 6-5. The two teams split during the regular season.
Ethan Wajer gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead 24 seconds into the game. Gardiner tied the score on a shot from Kaleb Smith a minute later. Lincoln was called for two slashing penalties on one play and Gardiner took advantage of the Eagles’ two down situation to take the lead with 8:40 to go on a goal from Dalton Eldridge. The Tigers scored again on a shot from Austin Moore to take a 3-1 lead into the half.
After a sluggish first half, the Eagles picked up their offensive intensity and played smarter defensively in the second half. Lincoln scored three goals in a five minute span to take a 4-3 lead in the third quarter. Michael Vanderploeg converted a pass from Wajer with 10:22 to play. Wajer scored on a Vanderploeg feed with 6:06 to go to tie the score at 3-3. Wajer scored unassisted 39 seconds later to give the Eagles the lead.
Vanderploeg scored two minutes into the fourth quarter, on a wrap around goal from the back side of the crease, to boost Lincoln’s lead to two. Gardiner pulled within one 23 seconds later on a shot from Hendsbee.
With two minutes to play in regulation, Jan Taliento was called for slashing. The Gardiner player he hit and knocked to the ground, swung his stick like a baseball bat and took Taliento out at the knees in retaliation, with no penalty called. The Eagles’ leading longstick defensiveman Taliento was able to stand up and limp off the field.
Eagle keeper Hayden Crowell (Brown) stopped a shot with 1:40 to go, but was unable to stop Hendsbee’s tying shot.
Lincoln had 29 shots and Gardiner 30. Crowell made 15 saves in net for the Eagles, and Peter Williamson 11 for the Tigers.
