May 17, 2006|By LEM SATTERFIELD | LEM SATTERFIELD,SUN REPORTER
Jake Cornblath scored three second-half goals and assisted on another by Colin Smith to pace defending champ Park's come-from-behind 7-6 Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference semifinal victory at Archbishop Curley yesterday.
Kyle Tarver, Dan Ryugio and Joe Press contributed a goal each, and keeper Brad Mendelson (nine saves) made two late stops as the Bruins (11-3) earned a rematch with St. Vincent Pallotti (14-3), a 13-10 winner over last year's runner-up, John Carroll (9-6) in yesterday's other semifinal.
Kenny Whittaker (two goals) and Doug Herdegen (one goal, two assists) led the Friars (9-8), who trailed only once after having a pair of two-goal leads in a game that was tied four times.
"It hit us at halftime that this would be our last game if we didn't turn it around," said Cornblath, who scored twice during a 3-0 Bruins run that turned a 6-4 deficit into the winning margin. "Brad came up huge, especially on saves from point blank."
In Friday's title game at Johns Hopkins' Homewood Field, the Bruins will face a Panthers squad which has beaten them twice in regular season games, by margins of 9-7 and 19-7.
"Pallotti's already proven they can beat the bejeebers out of us," said Park coach Lucky Mallonee. "We're hoping that was just a bad game on our part, and that the talent level falls closer to the score of the first game we played against them."
The high-scoring Panthers are paced by Ryan Alexander and Brett Leonard. Alexander has 217 career goals and 52 assists, and Leonard, 177 and 96.
lem.satterfield@baltsun.com
Hank Nathan contributed to this article.
