Saint Andrew's lacrosse sophomores impress early in pursuit of fourth straight state title
BOCA RATON − Seniors have propelled Saint Andrew's boys lacrosse to three consecutive state championships, but this season, the program stars an electric sophomore duo.
After leading the roster with 75 assists as a freshman last spring, Nick Testa is back on the field for the Scots (6-0), feeding the ball to well-known upperclassmen like Connor Hofbauer and Jackson Parke. However, team newcomer Dylan Faison was the hot shot in Tuesday's 16-10 dub to snap rival Benjamin's four-game win streak.
Faison arrived to the Boca Raton campus by way of Pine Crest in Fort Lauderdale last offseason to start his journey at St. Andrew's with Scots football coach Jimmy Robertson. A fall spent navigating a 9-2 playoff run is a huge reason Faison is seeing early success on the lacrosse field.
"It was the most important thing because the majority of the football team is lacrosse players," Faison said. "The players around me are just different. Pine Crest was a great school, but I think the mentality here just suited me more with the athletic side, and the players around me help me get better at what I want to get better at."
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Yet, Faison's bond with Testa didn't come from pouring blood and sweat together on the gridiron.
The two have shared rosters since their youth days and now migrate north for the summers, rooming together on the travel circuit in New York playing for Team 91 Lacrosse, based out of Long Island.
"We just have great chemistry and it connects on the field a lot, and it's hard for a team to stop," Faison said.
It helps that Testa is the 11th ranked player in the nation.
The youngster feels the "pressure," but he's already seen how it can cut diamonds. Duke, the University of North Carolina, and Notre Dame were among Testa's shortlist of interested Division I programs. After a visit to Durham, the Blue Devils are an early favorite.
"With the new addition of Dylan, I feel like even though we have a bunch of senior guys missing from the team, we have a lot of sophomores and underclassmen that step up and fill the positions," Testa said. Not to forget sophomore middie Shovan Eriksson, who built momentum for the Scots with a hat trick outing.
Faison not the only new addition making a difference for Scots
Defensively, the Scots were doomed to the same old storyline heading into 2024: the need for a new goalkeeper.
Senior Andrew Pozo, an transplant from Columbus High in Miami, inherits the starting spot from Ryan Kaplan, who led St. Andrew's on a 19-3 title run last spring.
"Ryan Kaplan's a great guy. He really helped me learn the new defense and worked with me before I got here in the summer," Pozo said, also crediting Columbus coach Steven Hernandez for his development.
"When I first got here, I was nervous. I was worried about my spot. I was worried about how I played each practice. But now that I've gotten more comfortable, I definitely am playing way better," Pozo said. "St. Andrew's − even just the name is huge. Back-to-back three times is crazy, and being able to play with these guys is just the best."
Pozo had five saves before Scots coach Tony Seaman put in freshman Theodore Lucas for the second half for some valuable playing time. The Scots started the third quarter up 8-3 and entered the fourth quarter ahead,14-5.
Then St. Andrew's was reminded of what can happen when one gets too comfortable.
Benjamin takes first loss of the season on the chin
Sophomore Cole Denton's back-to-back goals were the last two for St. Andrew's. For 10 minutes, Benjamin ran up the scoreboard as slashing and unnecessary roughness left the Scots a man-down for two minutes of the fourth quarter.
"Saint Andrews is an extremely talented team and has been a dominant program over the years. I think we certainly need to clean up some of our turnovers," Benjamin's Jayden Vega said, spoken like a true quarterback.
"As a team, our shooting was an issue and a few more shots on goal could make a big impact on a game like that. To me, the rally in the fourth quarter shows me that our team is willing to fight no matter the circumstances and that once we get rolling we can deal some damage."
While the 6-foot-1, 210 pound junior is arguably better known for his efforts throwing the football to Florida State signee Amaree Williams and Wake Forest recruit Jacob Cosby-Mosley, Vega's a bigger Division I prospect on the lacrosse scene for his skills at midfielder.
"Lacrosse has given me an opportunity to showcase some of my athleticism, which translates in both sports," Vega said. "With football being my main passion, I’ve decided to see what opportunities come my way, but I would consider playing both sports at the next level if that opportunity presents itself."
When Vega delivered his second goal of the night after another assist, St. Andrew's fans leaning on the fence were paralyzed with fear that Benjamin would send the game out of regulation.
He thought the Buccaneers played exceptionally well considering impact middies Sean Sheehan and Caden Hayes are injured, and has seen Matthew Null and Campbell Hogan "develop big roles" in the pair's absence. Vega also commended Benjamin's "phenomenal attackers" in junior Alex Ponchock and freshman Jack Kelleher for their play and contributions to helping every player learn the best way he can help the offense.
"I think we have a very young, but talented team," he said.
The Buccaneers will host Pozo's former Columbus at Theofilos Field on Friday at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, St. Andrew's will board the bus for a Saturday matchup at the Community School of Naples, set to start at 7 p.m.
Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: St. Andrew's lacrosse sophomores impress early in pursuit of eighth state title
