CHA senior attackman Dan Rosen looks for an opening in the defense.

Chestnut Hill Academy’s lacrosse team ended the season on a positive note – and with a winning record – by knocking off the visiting Spartans of Springfield High School last Monday afternoon in a non-league match that had been rescheduled from the previous week.

The host Blue Devils, who finished up with a 9-7 mark overall, never trailed in the contest, although Springfield was just one point back early in the second quarter (3-2) before CHA scored three straight goals. Returning to unofficial status in the Inter-Ac League this year, Chestnut Hill (4-0 league, Malvern rained out) played a single round of games against the other league members, instead of the customary double round. Springfield, which belongs to the Independence Conference of the Suburban One League, ended up with an overall record of 9-9.

In the season finale, CHA received four goals from Dante LeRuffa, a senior headed for the College of Charleston. Two goals apiece were added by junior Peter Adubato (one assist) and senior Matt Munro, who will attend Loyola University.

Last Monday Adubato opened the scoring by dumping a hard bounce shot right at the feet of Spartans keeper Colin Higgins (nine saves), then LaRuffa scored from farther out to make it 2-0 a little over two minutes into the game. Not much more than another minute went by before Martin Goldfarb (a senior who has signed with Drexel University) assisted a shot by Chris Curdele that got Springfield on the board. LaRuffa scored again with 6:12 to go in the opening quarter, but after that the goalies kept their cages sealed until the end of the period.

The Spartans seized the face-off at the start of the second quarter and remained on offense for several minutes, eventually drawing within a single point of the home team, 3-2, with a marker by Mike Wise. After that, the game’s first penalty left Chestnut Hill a man short, but the Blue Devils responded by going on the offensive. Sophomore Matt Rubin carried the ball in from the right wing and passed to Munro just a few yards from the goal for a CHA score.

Another goal from close range was fired by senior Martus Gn (Wake Forest University), then junior Evan Booker snapped up the following face-off and raced downfield to deposit the third straight goal for the hosts, making it 6-2 with five minutes left in the half. Springfield’s Eric Schlater (a Lynchburg College recruit) drove in from the right and slipped a shot inside the near pipe, then in the final 80 seconds CHA’s Munro and the Spartans’ Goldfarb traded goals for a 7-4 halftime tally.

In the second half CHA’s sophomore goalie, Corbin Booker (seven saves), limited the Spartans to a single goal with help from his starting defensemen, senior Kyle Keller and sophomores Corey Goldstein and Henry O’Reilly.

Less than a minute into the third quarter, an Adubato assist helped LaRuffa earn a hat trick, then Adubato scored himself as he isolated his defender at the top of the offensive set. In a similar manner, CHA senior Greg Quillian (Ursinus College) found the net with 5:46 remaining in the third period, making it 10-4.

This time the Spartans answered quickly, controlling the face-off and penetrating towards the Devils’ den. Curdele cranked up a shot that appeared to come back off the foot of Booker, then the attacker pocketed his own rebound and made good on his second attempt with 5:29 to go in the third round.

This would be Springfield’s last goal, however, and in the fourth quarter Chestnut Hill added its final marker on a shot by LaRuffa with 3:34 remaining.