Thursday night’s conference clash between rivals Hinsdale Central and York lived up to the billing. Both teams entered the game 4-1 with HCHS ranked 7th and York ranked 12th in the IHSLA computer rankings. The first half was a game of jitters as both teams struggled to get quality shots and find their footing. The Devils took a 2-1 lead into the locker room after the defensive focused opening 24 minutes.

A pumped up York team dominated in the first four minutes of the third quarter. They raced out to a 5-2 lead with 4 goals in 4 minutes as the Devils had problems possessing the ball and seemed shell shocked as the Dukes swarmed the goal. Coach Mares settled the Devils with a quick time out and seniors Peter Marcus and Joe Kwasigroch woke up the sleeping Devils with big goals in the back half of the third quarter as the Devils came charging back.

The Devils tied the game early in the 4th quarter with a 12 yard rocket from Mark Ferrino and then took the lead on a driving unassisted goal from Jack Nastas. York didn’t roll over as they scored two goals in a four minute stretch to take a 7-6 lead with under five minutes to play. Seniors Jake Simon and Mark Ferrino then hooked up on a nice little give and go to tie the game with a little over two minutes left. Both teams had opportunities to end it in regulation, but the defenses put the clamps on and the game headed to overtime tied 7-7.

The overtime was marred by two bizarre officiating calls, one in which the game was stopped for almost five minutes as the three officials tried to determine if the Dukes had seven on the offensive end after a flag had been thrown for off-sides. The flag was picked up and York was awarded possession.  The Dukes then scored on a second chance shot following a ricochet off the pipe to end the game with an 8-7 victory.

The Devils beat themselves, committing 17 turnovers in a high intensity match up in which they seemed a step behind for the first two and a half quarters. They ramped up the intensity and played smart, focused lacrosse the last quarter and a half, but as they found out, you have to play 48 minutes to beat a quality squad like York. If the Devils can play entire games with the effort they gave the final 18 minutes against York they may just be playing come June.

The Devils have a busy week ahead of them. Monday night they travel to St. Charles North for a 6pm game,  meet St. Laurence on their campus Wednesday night at 6:45pm and end the three game stretch by hosting Wheaton North at Dickinson on Saturday at 1pm.