Brian Feeney Stands Strong in Lax Cage

Summit boys lacrosse goalie Brian Feeney has a knack for making a big play. Whether it involves stopping a point-blank shot by his opponent, sprinting 20 yards to grab a ground ball, or making a long clear to give his team a transition opportunity, last year's New Jersey Goalie of the Year can do it all.

In 22 games this season, Feeney has allowed just 48 goals for an impressive 2.18 goals against average.

The All-American and University of Pennsylvania-bound senior goalie helped his team reach their second consecutive Tournament of Champions final with eight saves against Ridge High School in Wednesday night's semis. Feeney, along with his defensive crew of Bobby Lawrence, Ryan Troy, Joe Jaskolski, and Jules Godino, held the No. 10 team in the state to just four goals.

"Ridge had a couple of one-on-one opportunities that Brian stopped," Summit head coach Jim Davidson said. "He was then able to get the ball out and start some good transition for us."

Good transition indeed: three of Summit's 11 goals in Wednesday night's semifinal game were scored off of ground ball wins or saves made by Feeney.

The senior goalie seemed to play more aggressively against Ridge in the TOC semis, leaving the perimeter of his cage more often than usual to chase down ground balls and give his team possession. On a couple instances, Feeney even sprinted up-field, outrunning the opposition, to begin a transition opportunity for his team.

"It's always been my strategy to be more than just a stopper–to get ground balls and clear transition," Feeney said. "I haven't gotten too many opportunities to do that this year because my defense picks up so many ground balls. But I knew Ridge would press out on the ride, and so I had to take it up the field. I did that my sophomore and junior years all the time, and coach loves it when I'm that aggressive."

Feeney's aggressiveness paid off: he won seven ground balls on Wednesday night, bringing his season total to 42.

Knowing that such a stalwart goalie guards their cage helps Summit defenders feel more comfortable pushing out and being more aggressive than perhaps they would be in a different situation.

"We put a lot of pressure on teams defensively and a few times we sacrifice our defense, but Brian is always there to make a big save or get a ground ball and clear it out," senior defender Bobby Lawrence said. "We feel we can be more aggressive with him behind us."

Thanks in part to Feeney and his defensive arsenal, the Hilltoppers (22-0) have a chance to make history this Saturday in the TOC finals. If No. 1 Summit can pull of a victory against No. 2 Saint Joseph, Metuchen, it will be their 45th consecutive win, surpassing the New Jersey state record first set by Ridgewood High School in the early 1990s.

"Right now we're just focusing on winning that game," Feeney said. "I hope to come up big in the finals."

If history repeats itself, the senior goalie will do just that: Feeney made 18 saves in last year's TOC finals win over Delbarton to help his team earn the highest boys' lacrosse honor in the state, the Tournament of Champions title.