'That would be one of our core memories:' Veteran Mason boys lacrosse team eyes playoff run

MASON, Ohio – Senior night was jam-packed Tuesday night when the Mason boys lacrosse team hosted Fairfield.

Mason has 16 seniors listed on its roster, and pictures of them filled the main concourse during its 14-1 win over its Greater Miami Conference rivals.

“We’re a really close group of guys,” said senior co-captain Henry Cooper. “We’ve been coming up through the program all these years. We know each other really well. It’s been a good year.”

The Comets are not backing down from anybody as the Comets prepare for what they hope is a deep playoff run.

Mason is 12-2 entering the homestretch of the regular season. Mason plays Monday at St. Xavier, which advanced to the Division I state semifinals. Mason plays at Oak Hills May 8 with a chance to clinch the league title, then plays at defending state champion Dublin Jerome.

“We’ll have a good idea of where we are and what we need to do when we enter the playoffs, so we’re really excited about those opportunities,” said head coach Jeff Bumiller.

Mason was the top seed in last year’s regional bracket but fell to third-seed Moeller in the semifinals, losing in that round for the fourth straight season. St. Xavier won the region and went to the state semifinals.

The Comets want to make up for that this year.

“That would be one of our core memories in our lives,” Cooper said. “It would be awesome to do it with the team that we have. We have a good chance.”

Mason starts with defense, led by senior Ben LoPiccolo in goal. The Comets have allowed four goals or fewer in seven of their last nine games and 10 of 14 overall.

“The defense is very connected this year,” said LoPiccolo, who has signed to play for Catawba University. “We have two juniors and one great senior, Athan Mathes. We’ve only been letting in five, six goals a game, and when you do that, it’s pretty hard to lose.”

Mason has seven players who have scored 10 or more goals this year. Tyler Lupinski and Peter Marietta have 18 apiece. Cooper has 11 goals and nine assists.

Senior Ben Cravens and junior Hayden Bunch lead in ground balls, and Bunch leads in caused turnovers.

“We’re a really balanced team,” Bumiller said. “We get a lot of contributions from a lot of different people. We’re battling a little bit of an injury bug, but we’ve had some guys who have stepped up and filled some very important roles for us.”

“Our defense is stronger on the field, but our offense has come together really well this year,” said Cooper, who is playing for Taylor University next season. “We’ve been able to make plays in big-time moments. That has helped us against the closer teams. We know how each other plays so we know what to look for on the field.”

Cooper and LoPiccolo love the fast pace of the sport, and they plan to keep playing as long as they can.

“Last year (against Moeller), we didn’t play well as a team,” LoPiccolo said. “If we play together more, we can make a run in the playoffs.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'That would be one of our core memories:' Veteran Mason boys lacrosse team eyes playoff run