ATTACK MODE: Hun School boys’ lacrosse Brett Stelmach races past a Princeton Day School defender last Thursday. Junior attacker Stelmach tallied three goals and two assists to help Hun defeat PDS 16-3. The Raiders, who edged Gill St. Bernard’s 9-8 in overtime last Saturday to improve to 6-4, host Perkiomen School (Pa.) on May 4 and then play at Christian Brothers Academy on May 6. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Starting last week with a lopsided 18-7 loss to powerhouse Lawrenceville, the Hun School boys’ lacrosse team could have been discouraged.

But Hun junior attacker Brett Stelmach believes that the April 23 setback could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the Raiders.

“We played a really good team, I think we got a lot better during that experience,” said Stelmach. “We tightened up the things we were doing badly because we needed to. It was a good turnaround for the team, everyone started coming together.”

Last Thursday as Hun played at Princeton Day School, things came together quickly for Hun as it jumped out to an 8-0 lead and never looked back on the way to a 16-3 win.

“It was a good game, we started off pretty good,” said Stelmach, who tallied three goals and two assists in the win. “It is a change from games before because we usually started slow. I think after Lawrenceville we definitely switched it up.”

Stelmach’s game changed last year under the tutelage of former head coach Jim Stagnitta. “I think coach Stagnitta definitely changed the entire way I play, he got me focused on just keeping it simple an just doing the little things right,” said Stelmach. “Everything just fell into place after that. I just do what I have got to do every game, pick up as many ground balls as possible nothing crazy. I am not trying to do everything. it is just keep it simple.”

In addition, Stelmach has picked up tips from senior teammates Danny Cano and Brendan Marino.

“I really learned everything from them for how I play,” said Stelmach. “I got a lot of my dodges from Danny — they are definitely a big influence on the team.”

Hun first-year head coach Alex Lopes believed that his squad learned a lot from the loss to Lawrenceville.

“I thought we played great; it was a great experience, it is always fun to go and complete against the best,” said Lopes. “The expectation for our program is to get out there and give ourselves a chance against anybody. Things that we were worried about, I thought we did really well. Their 10-man ride has given teams fits all year and we cleared the ball great. We had some good poise on offense. We just didn’t finish enough but at the end of the day, they are an excellent team. I thought we grew and got better in that game.”

The Raiders showed that growth in the win over PDS. “That pace that we need to play at was reflected today,” said Lopes. “Going from shot clock game to a non-shot clock game, it is up to us to force pace a little bit in these scenarios. So defensively, it is getting out, playing a little bit more on hands and offensively, challenging a little bit more.”

Lopes credits Stelmach with giving Hun a spark offensively.

“Brett is great with the ball on his stick, he is a nightmare matchup for a defenseman,” said Lopes, who got three goals and two assists from Cano against PDS with Marino and Jack Beck chipping in two goals apiece. “He is just getting smarter. He is very good at sneaking into those lanes and guys find him. He keeps getting better, he keeps learning. I think that is true for a lot of our guys.”
The Hun defensive unit has been playing smarter as the season has unfolded.

“There have been some growing pains defensively but we just keep getting better,” said Lopes. “Our one-on-one defense hasn’t been an issue all year. It is the off-ball stuff, understanding the communication piece. We talked a lot about that watching film after Lawrenceville. They came out and put a 7-1 on us in the first quarter and then we started communicating and all of a sudden we gave ourselves chances to get stops. We carried that into today and we want to keep carrying that moving forward. Luke Donahue at longstick midfield has been just amazing — he has really stood out.”

Hun took another step forward last Saturday as it edged Gill St. Bernard’s 9-8 in overtime to improve to 6-4 as Marino led the way with six goals, including the OT game-winner.

“We are still getting better and that is what I am excited about as we get to the meat of our season,” said Lopes, whose team hosts Perkiomen School (Pa.) on May 4 and then plays at Christian Brothers Academy on May 6. “I am excited about where we are and where we can still get to.”

Lopes is excited by his squad’s persistence and intensity. “There is no quit in this team, they just play hard from the first whistle to the last whistle,” said Lopes. “Things don’t bother them. They are positive, they support each other. I think that reflects the culture of our program that we want. It is one thing to talk about it, it is another thing to follow through on it and now you are seeing us following through on it. We have got great leaders but it can’t just be three guys at the top. It has got to be everybody buying in and I think the program has bought in.”

In Stelmach’s view, Hun is primed to produce a positive finish this spring.

“I think we just have to keep doing what we are doing,” said Stelmach. “It us just making sure that we are seeing what we need to get better at and figuring it out.”