(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) CLEAR SAILING: Hun School boys’ lacrosse senior star Chris Loy clears the ball in recent action. Last Monday Loy and his defensive colleagues turned in a superb effort as second-seeded Hun topped No. 3 Peddie 9-6 in the state Prep A semifinals. Hun, now 10-0, will play at No. 1 and seven-time defending champion Lawrenceville in the Prep A title game on May 4. The Raiders will tune up for the clash by hosting Rutgers Prep on April 29 and Princeton High on April 30.

With Senior Loy Sparking Stingy Defense, Hun Boys’ Lax Stifles Peddie in Prep Semis

Bill Alden

The temperature was hovering around 90 degrees last Monday and the Hun School boys’ lacrosse team was struggling to cool off a fired-up Peddie School squad.

With the teams meeting in the state Prep semifinals, second-seeded Hun and No. 3 Peddie were locked in a 5-5 stalemate at halftime.

In the third quarter, though, Hun put Peddie in the deep freeze, holding the Falcons scoreless.

The Raiders, meanwhile, got goals from senior stars Harry Blackburn and Zach Martin to take a 7-5 lead going into the final period.

Over the final 12 minutes, the Hun defense kept up its stifling play, yielding just one goal as it went on to a 9-6 win.

The victory improved the Raiders to 10-0 and earned them a berth in the Prep A title game on May 4 when they will host top-seeded and perennial champion Lawrenceville.

In reflecting on Hun’s stellar defensive performance, senior defenseman Chris Loy said that each member of the unit made a key contribution.

“One key was Brian Partiarca shutting off No. 22 (Kyle Stiefel), Geoff Rogers was able to call that,” said Loy.

“Will Brundage was able to slide hard. Steve Norman helped us out with the long pole. To sum it up, it was the chemistry of the whole defense.”

That chemistry is the product of a long-term process. “The defense is mainly all seniors, we are always talking,” said Loy. “If we need anything we just go straight to each other, on and off the field.”

The team’s chemistry on the offensive end of the field was also on display Monday as senior standout Blackburn scored two goals and had four assists with classmates Sam Rosenberg and Brendan Gallagher chipping in two goals apiece.

In Loy’s view, the team’s undefeated record has a lot to do with the tactical acumen demonstrated by new head coach Bill Quirk.

“It’s not just that he knows the sport, he is able to see the bigger picture,” asserted Loy.

“Kyle [Stiefel] was running around for them and he was able to see that before the play happened and call that out and stop it. It’s just amazing how he is able to see all of that.”

Dueling with his older brother Matt, a 200-point scorer for Hun, helped Loy see that playing defense was for him.

“I played every position but when I came to high school, I was able to stop him once or twice and I started to think about defense,” said Loy.

“He scored the goals and I wanted to defend. My role is being able to see the field and take the ball away.”

Loy and his classmates don’t want to stop winning as they wrap up their Hun careers.

“Last year was just a growing year,” said Loy, who will be playing at Springfield College next year. “The class of ’09 wants to make a bang.”

The Raiders will have to bang hard if they are to overcome Lawrenceville, which has won seven straight Prep A titles.

“It is a huge challenge, this is definitely the best chance we have had in a long time to beat them,” said Loy, who will look to keep Hun sharp as it hosts Rutgers Prep on April 29 and Princeton High on April 30 before taking on Lawrenceville. “We need to keep our heads and just play all out.”

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