By ROB JONAS

SCHENECTADY – The Niskayuna boys lacrosse team showcased the depth of talent it possesses with Saturday’s 14-2 Suburban Council victory over Shenendehowa at Union College’s Frank Bailey Field.

Seven different players scored goals, and the defense allowed Shen a total of 11 shots on goal as the Silver Warriors remained undefeated after three league games.

“There’s a lot of depth with the 15 seniors we have, but it’s their willingness to share the ball that’s so important to us,” said Niskayuna boys lacrosse coach Mike Vorgang.

Niskayuna struggled to find the back of the cage early on against Shen, but the offense discovered the best way to beat Shen goaltender Jacob Aragones was to shoot the ball high. Most of the Silver Warriors’ goals in the second and third quarters came from shots that sailed past Aragones’ shoulders.

“We weren’t having any success shooting low. The ball kept hitting his feet,” said Gabe Nish, who finished with four goals and two assists. “Coach [Vorgang] told us to change that, so we did.”

“I think they dialed in a little bit,” said Vorgang.

Shen, which also came into the day undefeated, did everything it could to slow down Niskayuna’s offense, but ultimately succumbed to the Silver Warriors’ balanced and patient attack.

“It’s hard to see the number of shots against you with the number of quality players that Niskayuna has,” said Shen coach Jason Gifford.

At the other end, Niskayuna goalie Drew D’Alliard was strong when he needed to be. D’Alliard had eight saves in three quarters of work, including four during a key stretch of the second quarter when Shen was attempting to fight back from a 5-1 deficit.

“He’s played really well in the last couple of games, so that’s super important for us,” Vorgang said of D’Alliard.

Finn McCullough also struck for four goals, and Brock Behrman contributed a goal and four assists for Niskayuna. Eric Makhatadze and Ely Bruhns tallied for Shen.

Photos by Rob Jonas. Copyright 2019 by Capital Region HS Sports.