The O’Dea fighting Irish and the Eastlake Wolves went head-to-head on May 4th at Eastlake High School. Both teams have had solid seasons and brought intense energy into this match, fighting their way to playoffs. An electric crowed filled the stands with cheers and chants from both sides of the field, but it was the O’Dea Fighting Irish who earned a 14-7 win over the Wolves.
The game began in O’Dea’s favor, scoring within the first 5 minutes to secure the upper hand. Possession was good for both teams, although the Fighting Irish seemed to be slightly more dominant with the ball. The Wolves were able to lock in their first goal with just 3 minutes left in the first quarter, gaining hope to take the lead. The Fighting Irish quickly shut this down, though, scoring 2 more goals by seniors Grayson Bromfield and Cooper Gissing to end the first quarter with the score 3-1. Although their offense was supreme, O’Dea’s goalie, Jacob Newman, also had an impact on the team with some major saves.
The second quarter started off with an injury to O’Dea’s Noah Bissmeyer, who ended up having to leave the field. O’Dea junior Dylan Smith tacked on another for the Irish, but Eastlake adapted quickly by scoring a goal just minutes later. Bromfield and Gissing both took up yet another opportunity for the visiting team, securing the last two goals of the 1st half, displaying their talent and skill with the ball. Despite the 6-2 first-half Irish lead, Eastlake’s Alex Call had some impressive saves that kept Eastlake in the game.
The second half had a physical start, especially from Eastlake, with aggressive pushing and O’Dea players left on the ground. However, it didn’t bother visitors’ Bromfield, who scored to complete his hat-trick on the day. The fighting Irish kept up their team dynamic, scoring 4 more goals in the quarter, 2 by Smith and one by senior Dane Fournier. Eastlake was able to put two more on the board in the last minute, making the score at the end of the third quarter 12-5. The greatest number of goals were scored in the third quarter, with 8 scored between the teams.
The fourth and final quarter was filled with O’Dea players wasting time and counting down the clock by keeping possession and passing around the Eastlake defense. Both teams were able to score two more goals, making the final score 14-7, with the fighting Irish on top. The game was filled with electrifying spirit and fast-paced ball movement, making it exciting and one to remember. This was both teams’ last game of the regular 2024 season, O’Dea ending theirs on a high note with a final win.
