Greeley Grad Witko Leads Crown Trophy to Lax Title

PURCHASE, N.Y. -- Crown Trophy entered the Sound Shore Mens’ Lacrosse League Division III playoffs seeded sixth and came away with the grand prize.

The sixth-seed defeated top-seeded and previously-undefeated So West, 11-9 in the championship game, Monday, at Purchase College. It was the third consecutive Division III title for Crown Trophy, which vanished with a 7-2 record. So West, which beat Crown Trophy during the regular season, concluded with an 8-1 record.

Horace Greeley graduate Matt Witko had a hat trick for Crown Trophy and Brett Miranda added two goals. Witko scored twice in a 75-second span of the second half, increasing Crown Trophy’s lead to 8-4.

“I got a few opportunities and I was able to bury them,” said Witko, a 2011 graduate of Tufts, who is now applying to medical school. Witko’s two goals in the second half were important, but he chose to focus on goalie Chris Longo.

“Chris (Longo) was phenomenal in goal,” said Witko, as he prepared to suit up for No Limit in the Division I final. “He made the saves he was supposed to make and the saves he wasn’t supposed to make. He was just spectacular.”

So West led, 2-1, early on goals by Doug Eich, of Pelham, and Drew Wendol, but Crown Trophy scored four straight goals -- Rob Santangelo, Dave Miranda, Jojo Marasco and Brett Miranda -- to take a 5-2 lead. Mamaroneck alumnus Shane Fergeson and Iona Prep graduate Nick Trizano each had two goals for So West.

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