Hanover High boys lacrosse team is headed to the Division 3 Final Four

HANOVER – A few months removed from scoring the go-ahead goal in the boys hockey team's state title triumph under the bright lights of the TD Garden, Hanover High senior Max DaSilva can identify the DNA of a champion when he sees it.

And the Hanover High boys lacrosse team (15-5), of which DaSilva also co-captains, continues to pass the eye test.

“Our hockey team was really close together and this lax team is even closer, I’d say," DaSilva said. "Everyone is just best friends off the field and it really helps us on the field. It’ll take us far.”

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After an 11-6 home victory over No. 6 Grafton on Tuesday, it has delivered the third-seeded Hawks a spot in the Division 3 Final Four where they will oppose the winner of No. 2 Norwell and No. 7 Austin Prep. The date, time and location have yet to be announced.

After being bounced from contention in the South Sectional finals the past two seasons, Hanover is the closest it has been to a state title since advancing within one round of the title game in 2017. It's also the furthest the Hawks have soared under head coach Shawn Tierney, who is in his fourth season.

“As the coach, it’s nice to breathe because we got through another round, in all honesty. But it’s just a great group of kids," Tierney said. "Between losing the COVID year and these guys all together, it’s nice to finally have that full class that comes through. They know exactly what we want and what we expect as coaches, and clearly it's all paying off from all the effort these kids put in. We are stoked to be their coaches each and every day."

Swapping out his hockey skates for lacrosse spikes, DaSilva's goal-scoring was just part of what he brought to the table on Tuesday. He did score two goals – the second wasn't exactly the game's go-ahead, rather it extended a 7-5 lead for Hanover early in the fourth quarter – however, it was DaSilva's all-around play in the midfield that staved off a Grafton team that scored four consecutive goals, three of which came in the second half.

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"Max does not miss a ground ball, ever. That's the big thing," Tierney said. "He's a classy leader in the playoffs."

On the back of junior FOGO Ben Hickey winning at the face-off X at an overwhelming clip, the ball was more often than not delivered to the stick of senior Derek Tokarz. Tokarz scored all three of his goals in the first half, helping propel Hanover to a 6-2 advantage at the break.

On his first, which came just 56 seconds into play, Tokarz glided along the alley and fired it in, only to find himself upside down on his head afterwards. He popped right up into celebration with teammates Sean Coughlin and Ryan Jones.

“My man Derek just always goes to the rack. That’s always his thing," Tierney said. "He’s been a huge leader for us this year, especially on attack. It’s safe to say we’re a different team when Derek Tokarz isn’t in the game.”

“When we all play together, we all score," Tokarz said. "That’s the key."

Mission accomplished on Tuesday as seven different players got into the scoring act. Three consecutive scores to open the fourth quarter (DaSilva at 11:01, junior Joseph Curran at 10:50, senior Dylan Rice at 4:28) avenged Hanover's penalty-ladened third period, which Grafton took full advantage of to assert its four-goal run.

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“This is absolutely, super exciting," said Hickey, who also plays football. "The camaraderie on this team is definitely what sets us apart. It helps on and off the field. The sideline is always going. It definitely lets us get some runs going on the field.”

What also turned the tides late was the play of junior goalie Ronan Kearney. After shuffling the goalie rotation at the season's beginning, Kearney has been a constant presence in the Hanover net throughout the team's biggest games. He made eight saves in Tuesday's win.

"We have had some talented goalies here and Ron stole the show as a junior," Tierney said. "(He's) a kid we lean on heavy."

Added Tierney. “The big thing with Ron is he loves to communicate and his step to the ball is incredible. He tells people where to go, he gets the game and he’s got a good lacrosse mind. We’re always comfortable with No. 30 in net.”

Hanover received impactful defensive contributions from juniors Noah Hofeman, Matt Connerty and Colin Killgoar, as well as senior Brent Campbell, but the unit's standout was senior Griffin O'Brien. Without missing a single game in his senior campaign, Tierney said O'Brien has defended the best offensive player on each of Hanover's opponents this season.

“It’s just (about) communicating,” O’Brien said. “Just talking through everything on the defensive side of the ball, I think, is what makes us great.”

Hanover came off a 5-7 season (and No. 13 seed, losing 20-16 in the Division 2 South Sectional Final) last year to bounce back as a power again this spring. After gaining momentum with wins over No. 30 Holliston (16-8 win) and No. 19 Wilmington (15-4 win) in the previous rounds of this year's tournament, Hanover continued a trend on Tuesday of scoring 10-plus goals in 11 of 19 games this year. In those games, the Hawks are 10-1.

For this group of 12 seniors, it's all about rolling at the right time.

“I’ll be heartbroken after I lose a couple of these guys,” said Tierney. “This year of 12 seniors, I cried (at the end of) last year and I’ll probably cry again this year.”

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Hanover High boys lacrosse team aces another tall test