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Sports

Boys Varsity Lacrosse Falls to Cranford in Second Game of the Season

Johnson coach Lou VanBergen noted room for improvement.

The Records: On Tuesday, April 5 at 4 p.m., the Arthur L. Johnson Crusaders varsity lacrosse team (0-1) battled the Cranford Cougars (0-1) at Arthur L. Johnson High School. Both teams were coming off season-opener losses (Johnson to Westfield, 6-5; Cranford to number-one-ranked Summit, 13-1) and were eager to even their records with a mark in the win column.

The Final Score: 12-9, Cranford. Competitive would be the best word to describe the matchup between Johnson and Cranford. The first half of play was a back-and-forth that kept the score nail-bitingly close and continued through much of the third quarter. The lead was up for grabs and in the end and it was Cranford's second-half defense that provided them with some key stops in getting the victory. 

Cranford drew first blood early on, but Johnson's C.J. Francisco responded to tie the score at 1. The junior attackman then added another three goals and was a driving force in Johnson's early offensive display. Adding to Johnson's total was junior Nick Mullery, who also chipped in four goals, and junior Brandon Feeney, who scored one goal. The offense was clicking for most of the game, but as the second half deepened Cranford's defense tightened up considerably, allowing the Cougars a few good scoring opportunities that earned them the lead.

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The Hero: Despite the loss, Johnson's Francisco was a key player in keeping the game close with his four goals. A score from Cranford seemed to immediately be followed by a Francisco goal or closely contested shot on goal. Francisco displayed a considerable amount of hustle throughout the game, often taking some big hits while clawing his way through Cranford's tough defenders and trying to work his way deep into Cougar territory.

The Quote: "I don't think we played a full 60 minutes or 48 minutes," said Johnson Head Coach Lou VanBergen. "I think we played a good half hour, and we need to put together a full game to get a win. We need to work on the defensive end and put pressure on the ball, and we also need to get better play out of our goalie."

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What's Next: The Crusaders (0-2) travel to St. Peter's Prep (1-1) today, April 6, for a 4 p.m game. St. Peter's Prep is coming off of a one-goal loss to Randolph, and the Crusaders take aim at putting their first win of the season into the books.

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JOHNSON BOYS LACROSSE 2011 SEASON
4/1 - Loss: Johnson 5, Westfield 6.
4/5- Loss: Johnson 9, Cranford 12. 

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