Boys Lacrosse: Brubaker’s Late Goal Lifts Cedar Crest Past Ephrata in Thriller

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The Falcons entered Friday’s home game against Ephrata as winners of their past three games, but this one proved to be their toughest test of the streak. In a back-and-forth battle that saw the Mounts erase several Cedar Crest leads, Cedar Crest found one last clutch moment late, pulling out an 8-7 thriller to improve to 5-4 on the season.

Grant Reesor paced the Falcons offensively with 5 goals and 1 assist, accounting for much of Cedar Crest’s production in the tight contest. Jaxon Bucher added 1 goal and 1 assist, while Connor McCracken also finished with 1 goal and 1 assist to help the Falcons stay even in a game that offered little separation.

The biggest moment came in the closing minutes. With less than two minutes to play and the game hanging in the balance, Nolan Brubaker buried the game-winning goal off a feed from Reesor, giving Cedar Crest the decisive score in dramatic fashion. Brubaker’s finish and Reesor’s setup ultimately delivered the difference in a game that swung back and forth all evening.

In goal, Paxton Thomas turned in a huge performance for Cedar Crest with 17 saves, helping the Falcons withstand Ephrata’s pressure and make the late winner stand up.

Cedar Crest (5-4) will carry the lessons learned into a tough matchup Tuesday on the road at Hempfield.

Cedar Crest 8, Ephrata 7

Cedar Crest 8, Ephrata 7

Cedar Crest Leaders

Scoring
Grant Reesor: 5 goals, 1 assist
Jaxon Bucher: 1 goal, 1 assist
Connor McCracken: 1 goal, 1 assist
Nolan Brubaker: 1 goal
Joe Menicheschi: 1 assist

Goalie
Paxton Thomas: 17 saves