Texas High School Lacrosse League (THSLL) Division I State Semifinals
No. 2 Jesuit Dallas vs. No. 3 Episcopal School of Dallas
Saturday, May 14, 2016 ~ 4 p.m.
Eagle Stadium ~ Allen, Texas
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Jesuit Dallas lacrosse will take to the field on Saturday, May 14 aiming for the first Texas High School Lacrosse League (THSLL) State Championship in program history, beginning the weekend with a semifinal clash at 4 p.m. against Episcopal School of Dallas at Eagle Stadium in Allen, Texas.

The Rangers, ranked No. 2 in the state according to the LaxPower.com computer rankings, earned a trip to Allen with a dominating, 14-2 win over Lake Travis on Sunday, Mar. 8.  Jesuit saw 10 different players find the back of the net, led by sophomore David Sprock, who scored a team-leading three goals. 

In addition, senior Garrett Munck alongside juniors Daniel Burnum and Grayson Hassell scored two goals each, with seniors Zachary Kissick, Blake Buell, John Michael Priddy, Sean Rilley and junior Reece Ellison also closing out the contest in the scoring column.  Jesuit won the groundball battle, 40-25, only allowing five total shots while holding the Cavaliers to a miniscule 10-for-23 in clear attempts.

"Lake Travis plays very good defense," commented Jesuit Dallas head coach Chris Surran. "We made a few offensive tweaks to address the way they were playing us and emphasized shot selection in the second half, capitalizing on a few unsettled situations."

The Rangers held Lake Travis scoreless in the second half en route to the victory, improving the team's record to 15-2 on the year with their 11th double-digit scoring performance of the season.  Jesuit also continued a trend of dominating ground ball play, securing 40 or more ground balls for the third time in four games.

One key tool for the Rangers' offense this season has been scoring distribution.  In total, 18 members of the Jesuit Dallas lacrosse squad have found twine this year, including eight (Kissick, Rilley, Hassell, Munck, Sprock, Burnum, senior Blake Buell, junior Jack Freeman) who have 10 or more goals on the year. 

Burnum (28), Sprock (26) and Munck (23) are the three Rangers above the 20-goal plateau, with Sprock adding a team-leading 14 assists.

"Our offense is not predicated on one or two people. The sets are designed to provide looks for every person on the field," added Surran. If the team is playing well, the scoring is spread out and most of the goals are assisted."

The Rangers have combined to record 91 assists throughout the 183 goals scored this season, and have procured the most success in the first and third quarters, scoring 50 goals respectively in each quarter. 

Jesuit has additionally seen the emergence of junior goalkeeper Luke Millican, who has been a key contributor to the Ranger defense, which includes University of Michigan commit Priddy, that has allowed on average 4.26 goals per game.  Millican enters the THSLL semifinals with 104 saves on the season.

Another key facet of the Rangers' success throughout the 2016 season has been the team's ability to create havoc for opposing teams in transition.  Compared to the Rangers' .916 clear conversion percentage, opponents have been held to a .694 clear percentage, and only average 16.5 shots per game.

On Saturday, Jesuit will face a familiar opponent in ESD.  The two squads battled in a heart-stopping showdown on Apr. 22, a 7-6 Jesuit win in front of a raucous crowd at Postell Stadium.  Burnum snapped one past the Eagles' netminder with 90 seconds remaining on the regulation clock, providing the buffer needed for the Rangers to secure a victory that essentially clinched the squad's first round bye in the THSLL playoffs.

Holding a 9-1 record against common opponents, The Eagles matched Jesuit's 15-2 record throughout the regular season, finishing the year with losses to top two ranked teams in Texas; a 13-11 setback to tournament top seed Highland Park on April 1 before the loss to Jesuit in late April.  Averaging 13.24 goals per game, Episcopal has 11 double-digit games on the year and enter Saturday's contest looking for payback. 

"ESD has the best player in the State and one of the best in the country in Nakeie Montgomery," added Surran.  "He is athletic enough to run through a defense and he did several times in our first meeting. They also excel in the face-off game, which gives them extra possessions in the game. They are a very good team that will take advantage of the mistakes you make on both ends of the field."
 
Episcopal upended state-ranked No. 4 The Woodlands, 7-4, in the super regionals after defeating Vandegrift, 12-11, in the opening round to punch its ticket to Allen.

"I think you will see them prepare for the offense they saw last time around from us. We will make some lineup changes looking to create matchup problems for them."

The winner of Saturday's clash between Jesuit and ESD will advance to battle either state top-ranked Highland Park or No. 5 Austin Westlake.  The Scots have been on a rampant tear down the stretch of the regular season, wining 13 straight to end the year and clinch the tournament top-seed. 

"We need to at least split the face-offs," concluded Surran.  "If we win the ground ball war, execute the fundamentals, pass, catch and shoot efficiently, we have a chance to win."