EG Beats SK For 3rd DII State Championship In Row

For a team with a reputation for slow starts, the Avengers seemed determined to not let that happen Sunday, when they played for their third-straight Division II state championship against the South Kingstown Rebels. The first quarter ended with EG up 6-0. By the half, they were up 9-0. Scoring slowed in the second half, but the Avengers still came away with a decisive 11-2 victory over the Rebels.

Colin Waitkun, who scored 4 goals in the game, including 3 in the first quarter, was named most outstanding player.

South Kingstown team captain Chad Mitchell scored both Rebel goals.

It was a sweet end to a sweet season for East Greenwich. The Avengers were 15-2 coming into the game, but 15-0 in division play. South Kingstown came into the final with a 13-3 record. EG beat SK in both regular season match ups.

The 15 seniors on the EG team had played together for several years and that synchronicity showed Sunday.

"We all meshed together. We all bonded really well," said Waitkun, who looks to play club lacrosse at URI next year.

EG Coach Brian Trapani acknowledged the game started a bit differently than some others.

"Usually, we're a slow-starting team," he said. "But we just started putting a couple in and kept up the momentum, trying to use our depth as a way to keep the pressure on. It seemed to work, at least in the first half. In the second half, it was just tough to come out for some reason. We were hitting the pipe, we were hitting the goalie, we were dropping passes. But in the fourth quarter we came back up."

When asked who were the key players in the final, Trapani said, "Jack Trutza, our goalie, did a nice job, stopped a lot of their long shots, some close shots. And Colin Waitkun, Colin Bernier, Ryan Trinque, our attack, did a very nice job. And our midfield just kept going up and down the field – a really strong midfield play. Our defense was our defense, limited their shots," he said.

With so many starters graduating, next year will be different, Trapani said.

"We have 23 freshmen between the Varsity and JV. It's going to be a team of juniors and sophomores next year. Every year's different. It will be fun." 

First Quarter goals:

EG/Matt Cruise (with 10:12 left in the first quarter)

EG/Colin Waitkun (8:18)

EG/Colin Waitkun (8:02)

EG/Colin Bernier (4:10)

EG/Colin Waitkun (3:19)

EG/Jack Payette (1:40)

Second Quarter goals:

EG/Colin Waitkun (11:11)

EG/Colin Bernier (9:51)

EG/Ryan Trinque (9:24)

Third Quarter goal:

SK/Chad Mitchell (1:02)

Fourth Quarter goals:

EG/Matt Cruise (10:42)

SK/Chad Mitchell (2:19)

EG/Matt Cruise (2:09)