Ocean City Captures Sixth Straight Cape-Atlantic League Lacrosse Title in Gritty Win Over Mainland

In front of a packed crowd, the Ocean City boys lacrosse team did what they’ve made a tradition in recent years—raise the Cape-Atlantic League championship trophy. With a 9-7 win over their longtime rivals from Mainland, the Red Raiders clinched their sixth consecutive league title, proving once again that even in a season marked by adversity, their championship pedigree runs deep.

From the opening faceoff, it was clear this one would be a battle. Sophomore Don Valesse, junior Jack Scherbin, and standout Nolan O’Kane each found the back of the net early, giving OC an initial 3-1 lead. But Mainland answered back with a pair of quick strikes, including a goal with just four seconds left in the first quarter from Ryan Scannell, tying the game at 3-3.

The second quarter turned into a defensive chess match. Both teams struggled to create clean opportunities, but James Burger, Ocean City’s fearless netminder, made three key saves to keep the game level. Midway through the frame, O’Kane broke the deadlock with a powerful finish, and Otter Donahue added a second goal late in the half to send OC into the break up 5-3.

Whatever Head Coach Joe LaTorre said in the locker room at halftime worked. Ocean City stormed out in the third with Donahue dazzling the crowd on a highlight-reel behind-the-back goal. A penalty drawn by O’Kane set up a man-up opportunity, and Bryce Hanin capitalized with a rocket shot to extend the lead to 7-3.

Burger continued his heroics in the cage, including a gutsy save off his helmet that had fans roaring. Though Dylan Grant managed to sneak one past Burger late in the quarter, OC responded immediately with a stunning coast-to-coast passing sequence capped by a goal from Jack Sherbin, followed by Anthony DiLorenzo striking with two minutes left to make it 9-4.

The fourth quarter brought tense moments. Ocean City opened with a man-up advantage but couldn’t convert on a trick play. Mainland mounted a late charge with goals from Joe Eyde, Tony DeSalle, and another from Grant. But it wasn’t enough. Burger and the OC defense held firm, and as the final horn sounded, the Red Raiders erupted in celebration.

After the game, a proud and reflective Coach LaTorre shared his thoughts on a season filled with challenges:

“I was very proud of their performance today. We’re a young group. We came into the season with six senior contributors, but lost four to injuries before we even got started. We were scrambling early on, relying on a handful of senior leaders and a whole lot of sophomores. But we learned a lot through our losses—we played a brutal schedule, facing top-25 teams like Rumson-Fair Haven and Bridgewater-Raritan. And all that adversity, all those hard lessons, paid off today.”

Coach LaTorre also praised Mainland’s performance and tipped his cap to what he sees as a rising force in the league:

“Mainland’s going to be a tough team to beat in the next few years. That game could’ve gone either way. The turning point, in my opinion, was our goalie. Burger made a handful of doorstop saves that could’ve flipped the game. He played out of his mind.”

With the league title secured, Ocean City now shifts its focus to the playoffs. As the No. 3 seed, their sights are squarely set on their next goal—a sectional championship, something the Red Raiders haven’t played for since 2021.