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Ryan O'Connor has all the qualities of a Wild West gunslinger.
The Moorestown senior faceoff specialist thrives on skills that are truly only understood by his peers, few as they are. Using equal parts, technique, strength and swagger, O'Connor takes on all comers.
"I think of myself as the best face off guy in New Jersey without a doubt," O'Connor said. "Every game I go in with that standard, and I have to prove it to myself. I have to prove it to the team. I prove it to the state. I want the state championship trophy. I'm hungry and that just fuels me. It fuels me to be the best."
It is quite possible that O'Connor has an extra measure of swagger. Right on brand.
Moorestown beat Shawnee, 9-8, in an early regular season meeting that had Olympic Conference American Division, South Jersey, Group 3 and statewide implications. More importantly, the Quakers took an early lead in the annual battle of Black and Blue.
O'Connor's fingerprints were all over the win.
"Ryan is just a warrior," Moorestown coach Brian Cary said. "He grinds out those ground balls. He's talented enough to play on the offense. When we went up 8-7, and he was like, listen, just give me one more chance to get a face off win. Then we got the next one. We go up 9-7, which obviously proved to be the big one."
While the entire team needs no motivation when the opponent is Shawnee. O'Connor had extra incentive, facing the Renegades' senior gunslinger Lucas Estevez, who has won nearly 75 percent of his faceoffs on the season.
"He's been a tough competitor for me for a few years now," O'Connor said. "He's been an all-right guy. He beat me my first time going against him. That's kind of lit a fire under me for the next three times we've met."
The Villanova University recruit won 15 of 23 faceoffs in the game. Unlike many members of the FOGO gunslinger class, O'Connor doesn't always face off then get off.
At the 2:30 mark of the third quarter, with Moorestown trailing 6-3, O'Connor scored his only goal. Moorestown would go on to spark a run of six out of seven goals.
"I mean, I love scoring," O'Connor said. "I saw Eric (Morano) get that ball. He gave it to me. I was like, I'm slinging it, man. When it went in, it fueled the fire. And we come out, 9-8. That's how we do it."
O'Connor had won 78 percent of his faceoff attempts. He has four goals and three assists. Not necessarily mazing scoring numbers, but just enough to force opponents to pay attention.
"He's got a tremendous shot," Cary said. "When he gets to his spot, he can catch it and unload. He can really do some damage. He did the same thing versus Rumson (an overtime win). He. had a couple really big man-up shots to just to kind of get us back into that game."
Tom Rimback grew up reading the Burlington County Times and Courier Post sports sections and began writing for the BCT in 1996. He has covered everything from Super Bowls and Final Fours to Tri-County Swimming but he’s happiest on a sideline interviewing South Jersey scholastic athletes. Follow him on twitter @Rimbacksports. Email him with story ideas at [email protected] and, most importantly, support local journalism with a subscription to the Courier-Post.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: HS boys lacrosse: O'Connor, Moorestown win Group 3 battle with Shawnee
Continue reading...
The Moorestown senior faceoff specialist thrives on skills that are truly only understood by his peers, few as they are. Using equal parts, technique, strength and swagger, O'Connor takes on all comers.
"I think of myself as the best face off guy in New Jersey without a doubt," O'Connor said. "Every game I go in with that standard, and I have to prove it to myself. I have to prove it to the team. I prove it to the state. I want the state championship trophy. I'm hungry and that just fuels me. It fuels me to be the best."
It is quite possible that O'Connor has an extra measure of swagger. Right on brand.
Moorestown beat Shawnee, 9-8, in an early regular season meeting that had Olympic Conference American Division, South Jersey, Group 3 and statewide implications. More importantly, the Quakers took an early lead in the annual battle of Black and Blue.
O'Connor's fingerprints were all over the win.
"Ryan is just a warrior," Moorestown coach Brian Cary said. "He grinds out those ground balls. He's talented enough to play on the offense. When we went up 8-7, and he was like, listen, just give me one more chance to get a face off win. Then we got the next one. We go up 9-7, which obviously proved to be the big one."
While the entire team needs no motivation when the opponent is Shawnee. O'Connor had extra incentive, facing the Renegades' senior gunslinger Lucas Estevez, who has won nearly 75 percent of his faceoffs on the season.
"He's been a tough competitor for me for a few years now," O'Connor said. "He's been an all-right guy. He beat me my first time going against him. That's kind of lit a fire under me for the next three times we've met."
The Villanova University recruit won 15 of 23 faceoffs in the game. Unlike many members of the FOGO gunslinger class, O'Connor doesn't always face off then get off.
At the 2:30 mark of the third quarter, with Moorestown trailing 6-3, O'Connor scored his only goal. Moorestown would go on to spark a run of six out of seven goals.
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"I mean, I love scoring," O'Connor said. "I saw Eric (Morano) get that ball. He gave it to me. I was like, I'm slinging it, man. When it went in, it fueled the fire. And we come out, 9-8. That's how we do it."
O'Connor had won 78 percent of his faceoff attempts. He has four goals and three assists. Not necessarily mazing scoring numbers, but just enough to force opponents to pay attention.
"He's got a tremendous shot," Cary said. "When he gets to his spot, he can catch it and unload. He can really do some damage. He did the same thing versus Rumson (an overtime win). He. had a couple really big man-up shots to just to kind of get us back into that game."
Tom Rimback grew up reading the Burlington County Times and Courier Post sports sections and began writing for the BCT in 1996. He has covered everything from Super Bowls and Final Fours to Tri-County Swimming but he’s happiest on a sideline interviewing South Jersey scholastic athletes. Follow him on twitter @Rimbacksports. Email him with story ideas at [email protected] and, most importantly, support local journalism with a subscription to the Courier-Post.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: HS boys lacrosse: O'Connor, Moorestown win Group 3 battle with Shawnee
Continue reading...
