Glenelg boys lacrosse overwhelms C. Milton Wright, 14-2, in Class 2A state quarterfinal
The Iannarino brothers each finished with four goals and one assist to lead the way as Glenelg rolled into the Class 2A state semifinals.
That special feeling is back with Glenelg boys lacrosse.
The storied program, which has captured four state titles, has everything working at just the right time this season.
The No. 13 Gladiators are dominating on faceoffs, feature a versatile attack and are playing sturdy in the middle and stingy in back. All of it was showcased in a 14-2 win over visiting C. Milton Wright in Wednesday’s Class 2A state quarterfinal.
Glenelg moves on to the semifinal round, set for Friday or Saturday against an opponent to be determined.
The Iannarino brothers — seniors Chris and Tim — were in the middle of the success. They each finished with four goals and one assist, and Chris teamed with Connor Hammond to dominate the circle. Zach Coughlin made seven saves and the defense in front of him was smothering.
Already Howard County and Class 2A West Region II champions, the Gladators (13-3) are three wins away from the program’s first state title since 2019. Glenelg’s past champions have used similar physical ingredients, but longtime coach Josh Hatmaker sees a common intangible that is even more important.
“There’s similarities to all those groups and the biggest is how close these kids are,” he said. “They play hard for each other and they work. One of our mottos is to find work, and they do that every day at practice and that’s the great thing. When you see that every day and see how close they are and then you see them be successful, that’s just awesome.”
The Mustangs (11-4) came into Wednesday’s game on a roll of their own as North Region I champions but weren’t able to match up with the Gladiators in almost every area. The home team led 2-0 after one quarter and poured it on with eight straight goals in the take-charge second quarter. Tim Iannarino scored three of the first four goals in the second with his brother getting the other one.
Then with a 6-0 lead, the Gladiators’ defense withstood a prolonged possession by the Mustangs, eventually forcing a turnover, and Coughlin made a fine save on a shot from Gavin Morris with 3:45 left in the half. Goals from Drew LaPointe, Chris Iannarino and Robert Jones followed for a 10-0 halftime lead. A 14-1 advantage to start the fourth quarter forced a running clock.
Chris Iannarino said the Gladiators’ confidence continues to build.
“We came out hot, which is exactly what we were looking for, and we didn’t slow down, putting together a full game,” he said.
His brother, Tim, said there’s more work left to do and the Gladiators are equipped to finish the job in a challenging Class 2A field.
“This group is very, very tight,” Tim said. “The seniors have been playing together for five, six years and the juniors and sophomores have really stepped up when we needed them to. We’re just a tight-knit group and I can see us winning it all. It’s going to take heart and dedication and we have both. We’re going to have to earn it.”
C. Milton Wright got 16 saves from goalie Zach Curry, while Liam Bender and Justin Eckman each scored goals.
Mustangs coach Andy LeBrun was disappointed with his team’s overall effort and quick to credit Glenelg.
“Bottom line, they wanted it more than us,” he said. “We have a lot to be proud of, but right now it just stings.”
CMW — 0-0-1-1 — 2
G — 2-8-4-0 — 14
Goals: CMW — Eckman , Bender; G — C. Iannarino 4, T. Iannarino 4, Klopp 3, Szczepanski, Jones, LaPointe.
Assists: CMW — T. Morris; G — DuBois 2, C. Iannarino, T. Iannarino, Klopp.
Saves: CMW — Curry 16; G — Coughlin 7, Jones 2