By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Eric Valero has made a career out of finding the open cutter for the West Windsor-Plainsboro South boys lacrosse team.
The Pirates senior showed Saturday that he’s also a very capable finisher if needed.
Valero scored four goals and added an assist as the Pirates avenged back-to-back heartbreaking losses to rival WW-P North with a 9-4 win.
”It was pretty big,” Valero said after helping the Pirates improve to 6-0. “It’s always big playing North. You know the kids and you’re trying your hardest to beat people you know. It’s always fun.”
Many of the opposing players were together as youngsters in the Lightning Lacrosse program. It’s where Valero started honing his field of vision that will carry him all the way to RPI next year.
”Coach told me I was the feeder they were looking for,” Valero said. “I’ve always been more of a passer than a shooter. I enjoy making that one extra pass.”
He’s been consistent in that role for WW-P South, but with Jack Dennehy likely lost for the season with a broken foot, they will need other weapons in the crease.
”Jack’s a great player,” Valero said. “It was a big deal to lose him. I think we had people step up and fill our needs. I think with Jack there, we would have beaten them by more.
”I still tend to pass more than I shoot. Without Jack, we needed to fill the roles.”
Valero was doing just what was asked of him by the Pirates on Saturday. They asked him to show his versatility against the Knights, who fell to 3-2.
”He wants to be that attackman behind the goal initiating the offense,” said Pirates head coach Matt Foret. “He has a ton of assists this year. It was great to see him do something different, understanding how important it is to fill that role.
”We were counting on Jack Dennehy, who’s one of starting attackmen, to have a huge year. He does a great job. He’s so big and strong, he does a great job of playing inside. It was great to see the guys come out today and step up. Matt Bright, the attackman who’s taken his spot, had a good game. He had an important assist. Dave (Twamley) and Connor (Farrell) have been able to raise their level of play for a huge loss.”
Twamley had three goals and an assist to pull within a point of tying WW-P South’s all-time scoring record set by Rob Morris in 2003. The Pirates were scheduled to play Hopewell Valley on Monday, then play three straight on the road beginning Wednesday at Allentown.
”We’re playing really well together,” Valero said. “The only way to improve would be to do everything we’re doing now at a higher level.”
It makes sense that the Pirates are off to a flying start. Twamley, Farrell and goalie Evan Burke, who finished with nine saves, have been playing varsity with Valero since they were freshmen. It’s now their time to lead WW-P South as seniors, something they feel well prepared to do after playing since freshman year.
”It gives you a lot of experience,” Valero said. “Me, Dave, Connor and Evan all have four years of experience. When we were freshmen, stepping out as a freshmen was traumatic. It’s a lot easier. There’s more pressure because you’re a senior and expected to do well, but it feels like it’s easier.”
Especially with everything going the Pirates way. WW-P South already knocked off traditionally strong A.L. Johnson and handed both Delaware Valley and WW-P North just their second loss apiece. Foret credits the senior leadership.
”In a lot of ways, some of these good early wins are two or three years in the making,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of young kids. As they’ve gotten bigger and stronger, they’ve gotten better and better. So many of the kids have a great feel for the game and what’s going on, and that’s paying great dividends for us.”
Added Valero: “I credit the whole team. We’re just playing well together. We’re clicking.”
It’s end to end with the Pirates. The offense was steady with five goals through three quarters before scoring four times in the fourth quarter. The defense didn’t allow the Knights, who had three goals from Andrew Washuta and two assists from Drew Kenavan, to score more than one goal in any quarter.
”Our defense is great,” Valero said. “When they dominate on the defensive end, it makes it easier to dominate on the offensive end because you have the ball for a longer period of time.”
Once the Pirates get the ball on offense, there are a lot of experienced weapons they can get it to. On Saturday, it was Valero’s turn to be on the receiving end for once.
”I didn’t expect it to be that good a day,” he said. “Coach told me beforehand it would be my day to catch and finish. He said he’d need me to finish.”
Eric Valero finished just fine, and with it helped to keep the Pirates perfect in 2009.
”Things are going great,” he said. “We’re undefeated. We all feel good. We all feel like things are clicking. We’re all playing really well.”
