Highlanders State Runner Up After Falling To St. Andrews

(April 24th) – The Lake Highland 2010 season (16 wins, 5 losses) came to an abrupt end tonight at West Orange High School in a 14 – 8 loss to powerhouse St. Andrews in the state title game. The Highlanders can hold their heads high as they battled hard the entire game in their third meeting of the year against the Scots. The LHP faithful left the stadium with renewed confidence that we will be back and stronger than ever next season. That confidence was shaken early in the contest as St. Andrews dominated the first quarter, opening up a 6 – 0 lead and scoring five of those goals in a two minute span. The Highlanders steadied themselves at the period end break and came out and owned the second quarter, tallying four unanswered goals of their own. Morgan Clark got the ball rolling, scoring the first two LHP goals unassisted on two great inside moves. The Highlanders defense stepped up as well and Warren Berenis made repeated saves on point blank St. Andrews shots. After a Malcolm Clayton goal was erased on a crease violation, he came back with a bounce shot and score off a Brian Rotatori feed at the 2:20 mark and Lake Highland had cut the deficit in half at 6 – 3. Nick St. Laurent closed out the LHP first half scoring by muscling his way through three defenders to make the score at intermission 6 – 4 in favor of St. Andrews. The third period was back and forth with each team scoring three goals. Lake Highland was led by Austin Tamayo who continued his outstanding play in the state final four scoring his third and fourth goals of the weekend. But the fourth quarter belonged to the Scots as they reeled off five unanswered goals to take an insurmountable 14 – 7 lead. Brian Rotatori scored the last goal of his illustrious high school career to end the game at 14 – 8 in favor of St. Andrews. In addition to Austin Tamayo’s two goals, Nick St. Laurent and Morgan Clark had two goals each to pace the Highlanders. Well done boys and we all look forward to next year!  

Lake Highland To Play For First Ever State Championship!

(April 23^rd) – In a game eerily similar to their earlier meeting this season, the Highlanders defeated The Bolles School 10 – 8 in a state semi-final game today under bright sunny skies and in front of a full house of predominantly Lake Highland fans at West Orange High School. The game was hard fought but uneven in flow and awkward in rhythm. Penalties, turnovers and missed opportunities were the order of the day but in the end the Highlanders stepped up their defensive effort and made the crucial plays when needed to earn their first ever trip to the state championship game where they will face familiar foe St. Andrews.  The game started with Bolles controlling the play against a tentative LHP squad. After a man-up goal at the 4:24 mark of the opening period Bolles held a 3 – 0 lead. The Highlanders machine finally kicked in gear and Morgan Clark put their first point on the board with 2:38 remaining off a feed from class valedictorian Brian Rotatori. Brother Will Rotatori found the back of the net with a lefty on the run rip at the 2:01 mark and the battle was fully joined. The next score will surely make the Pete Werner highlight reel as Quint Schenk gathered a loose ball in front of the Lake Highland goal, ran the length of the field and finished by beating the goalie to the off hand with :04 remaining in the quarter. LHP 3 and Bolles 3. The momentum did not carry into the second period for the Highlanders as the team’s battled hard and traded goals for most of the quarter. Austin Tamayo scored to tie the game at 4 with 9:42 remaining as goalie Warren Berenis cleared over the top of the defense to Malcolm Clayton who pushed it ahead to Will Rotatori who in turn fed Tamayo on the crease. LHP took their first lead of the game at the 8:50 mark when Will Rotatori drove to the goal on a re-start and caught the Bolles defenders flatfooted. With two more unassisted goals from Morgan Clark and Brian Rotatori, LHP went into intermission leading 7 – 6. For the second straight game Brian took every face-off for the Highlanders, winning nearly 80%. The third quarter was step up time for the defenses as both teams were whistled for and successfully killed several man-down situations. Davis Anderson scored for the Highlanders sandwiched by two Bolles tallies and the period ended with the score tied at 8 all. The final quarter got off to an ominous start as the Highlanders were called for a three minute non-releasable stick violation (must have been the sun heating up the plastic head, ref!). In what will be remembered as the defining moment of the game, the Highlanders gained control of a loose ball and Austin Tamayo drove the crease beating the goalie top left for what proved to be the game winner. Lake Highland killed the remainder of the penalty and after a surgeon like takeaway by Eric Fernandez, Will Rotatori added an insurance goal at the 7:18 mark and the Highlanders went on to seal the 10 – 8 victory. Will led all scorers with 3 goals and 1 assist. Austin Tamayo had 2 goals and 1 assist and Morgan Clark had 2 goals. The Highlanders next play the Scots of St. Andrews for the third time this season, this time for the state championship. Third time a charm?

Highlanders Roll Past Winter Park And Into State Final Four

(April 15^th) – Lake Highland (15 – 4; District 7 Champions) picked the perfect time to play their most complete game of the season in downing the rival Wildcats of Winter Park 10 to 5 in front of a packed house at Showalter Field. The Highlanders dominated all facets of play in building a 10 – 1 lead early in the final period and then holding off an attempted Winter Park rally. Led by seniors Brian Rotatori (face-off) and Quint Schenk (defense) along with captains Will Rotatori and Nick St. Laurent, the entire LHP squad played with a blend of confidence and composure that led to near flawless execution of a game plan that effectively avenged an earlier one goal loss to the Wildcats. The Highlanders took control of the game early in the first period, possessing the ball for eight of the first nine minutes of the contest. But the Highlanders scored only once as Billy Ziegler went top left off the first of four assists from Will Rotatori who showed the versatility that led to his selection as an All-American by changing his role from goal scorer to play maker for this game. Winter Park scored at the 2:32 mark and the period ended 1 – 1. LHP scored on one of ten shots on goal while Winter Park was one for three. The teams traded possessions for the first four minutes of the second quarter before Lake Highland’s solid defense and ball control offense started to light up the scoreboard. The key play that ignited the Highlanders was a Warren Berenis clear over the top of the Wildcat defense to a fast breaking Malcolm Clayton who pushed the ball ahead to Will Rotatori who in turn fed Austin Tamayo on the crease for the lefty finish. LHP would go on to score four more goals over the next five minutes and took a 6 – 1 lead into the halftime break. There was no letdown for the Highlanders in the third period as they again controlled the ball with sharp passing and numerous caused turnovers on the defensive end. Lake Highland scored three times in the quarter to take a commanding 9 – 1 lead into the final period. Morgan Clark scored at the 11:39 mark of the 4^th quarter to give the Highlanders’ all the cushion they would need. Even though Winter Park would mount a charge and score four unanswered goals, LHP stayed within their game plan and played a careful ball control offense the remainder of the way to seal the 10 to 5 victory. Nick St. Laurent led all scorers with 3 goals and 2 assists. Will Rotatori tallied 4 assists and Sophomore Davis Anderson contributed 3 goals. The Highlanders next play The Bolles School in the state tournament semi-finals on Friday, April 23^rd. Lake Highland defeated Bolles 10 – 9 earlier this season.

Highlanders Fall To St. Andrews In Regular Season Finale

(April 2nd) - On not as Good a Friday as hoped for, Lake Highland (11 - 4 overall; 5 - 0 district) came up short against the host Scots losing 12 to 9 in a closely fought, back and forth contest.  With a result much closer than last year's visit to Boca Raton, the Highlanders this season are proving that the gap is closing with the perrenial state power.  LHP showed courage and conviction throughout the game, coming back from numerous multiple goal deficits.  St. Andrews jumped out to a 3 - 1 lead midway through the first quarter but the Highlanders mounted their first charge, closing the gap to 4 - 3 by the end of the period capped off by a Will Rotatori full field clear, dodge and finish with :37 remaining.  The second stanza opened with continued Highlander momentum as Brian Rotatori (Go Penn Quakers!) scored from the face-off to knot the score at 4 all.  The rest of the period was a defensive stand off marked by great goalie play from Warren Berenis.  At the half, the Scots led 5 - 4.  St. Andrews came out firing after the intermission, scoring four unanswered goals in the first five minutes of the third quarter to take a 9 - 4 lead.  The many Highlander faithful who made the trip down the turnpike could breathe again as our boys mounted another charge with three unanswered goals of their own to end the period down only 9 to 7.  Each goal was a highlight on its own from Will Rotatori's great catch and finish off a feed from Morgan Clark, to Quint Schenk's full field run and score to Davis Anderson's goal with 1:01 remaining.  Unfortunately the final period started as the prior one and St. Andrews opened another four goal lead with 5:22 left in the game.  True to form, the Highlanders would not quit and goals by Nick St. Laurent and Billy Ziegler brought LHP back to within two goals at 11 - 9 with 2:16 remaining.  Despite tremendous pressure from the Highlanders, the Scots were able to run out the clock and add one last goal to seal a 12 to 9 final score.  Will Rotatori led Lake Highland with 3 goals and 1 assist and Nick St. Laurent added 2 goals.  LHP hosts the district play-offs starting Tuesday, April 6th and faces Edgewater in the first round.   

LHP Rolls Over Hagerty For Third Straight Win

(March 31st) The Highlanders (11 - 3 overall; 5 - 0 district) spoiled senior night for the host Huskies as they tuned up for their play-off run with a 13 to 1 victory.  The Highlanders offense was on display in the first half as ball control and crisp ball movement led to a 11 - 0 halftime lead.  The defense was on track as well as the Highlanders were ahead 4 to 0 and recorded several caused turnovers before Hagerty crossed midfield into LHP territory at the 8:00 minute mark of the first period.  Will Rotatori led all scorers with 4 goals and 5 assists.  Billy Ziegler added 3 goals while Brian Rotatori and Malcolm Clayton each had a pair of goals.  The Highlanders next prepare for a showdown with St. Andrews in Boca Raton on Friday, April 2nd.

Highlanders Shipwreck Gulliver On Senior Day

(March 27th) On a bright sunny Saturday afternoon, Lake Highland (10 - 3; 5 - 0 district) celebrated Senior Day in style by downing the visiting Raiders from Gulliver Prep 7 to 3.  Before the game, seniors Brian Rotatori, Jake Raiken, Quint Schenk, Tommy Maroon and Kingman Keating were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the LHP lax program.  The Highlanders then went out and played much bigger than Lilliputians in defeating a traditionally tough foe.  The first quarter was tightly contested with both teams feeling out the opposition.  After Gulliver opened the scoring and most appropriately considering the occasion, senior Jake Raiken tied the game at the 7:47 mark after a Malcom Clayton caused turnover.  The teams then traded a pair of goals with the quarter ending tied 2 - 2.  Gulliver opened the scoring in the second period and again the teams played stifling defense for the next seven minutes.  The momentum and ultimately the game swung in LHP's favor at the four minute mark as Morgan Clark scored to tie the game and immediately thereafter senior Brian Rotatori scored off the face-off.  At the intermission, Lake Highland held a 4 to 3 lead.  The third quarter lowlight was Will Rotatori suffering a pulse stopping neck injury that thankfully was not serious enough to keep him from returning to the game a period later.  On the positive side, the offensive highlight for LHP was a 3/4 field full sprint from Nick St. Laurent ending in a perfect feed to and finish by Davis Anderson with :17 left in the quarter.  Morgan Clark capped the scoring in the final period off a feed from the recovered Will Rotatori at the 11:04 mark.  The Highlanders then played shut down defense for the balance of the game.  This was Lake Highland's best defensive effort of the season as evidenced by holding Gulliver scoreless after the 10:20 mark in the second quarter.  Morgan Clark led LHP with 4 goals and Davis Anderson contributed 2.   

Highlanders Score Win Over Colorado Academy

(March 23rd) Lake Highland (10 - 3; 5 - 0 district) took on the Colorado Academy Mustangs looking to redeem themselves after losing to a Colorado team earlier in the season, and that’s what they did. Lake Highland took the game 9 - 8.  Although the game was close Lake Highland was well under control of the ball in the offensive zone, and were far superior on defense than their opponents.  The first quarter started out rough for the Highlanders as a long stick midfielder on the Mustangs scored the opening goal at the 10:40 mark.  Lake Highland never let the Mustangs pull away and Nick St. Laurent pounded one from inside the middle with a nice look from Malcolm Clayton to knot the game at 1-1 (9:59).  Lake Highland set-up their plays to perfection with crisp passes, fluid movement and hard shots, but few would fall their way. With 6:43 left in the first Will Rotatori held a dancing class that would last the remainder of the game. He went back and forth tangoing with the defender and skillfully took the feed and put the Highlanders in the lead 2 - 1. He did the same to the next defender to go up against him and topped off the scoring for the first quarter with Lake Highland up 3 - 1 (5:09). In the second quarter the Highlanders slowly started to pull away as Nick St. Laurent ripped one past the goalie making it 4 - 1 (7:05).  The Mustangs were able to go on a scoring streak of their own and even go up 5 - 4 with 2:35 left to play in the half.  Lake Highland had a tough time stopping them, but they finally redeemed themselves as Austin Tamayo snuck one past the goalie to make the teams even heading into the third quarter (0:52.9).  The Mustangs struck first in the third but once again Will Rotatori sent the defender to school tying it up at 6 all (9:30).  Lake Highland was breaking up many Mustang attempts and were rewarded for their efforts as Davis Anderson found none other than Will Rotatori to gave Lake Highland the the lead 7-6 (2:35).  The fourth quarter brought the fifth goal of the game for Will Rotatori, and he yet again was able to maneuver past a Mustang defender (11:40).  The Mustangs once again were able to pounce their way back to a tie at 8 - 8. Morgan Clark was able to connect with Austin Tamayo for the game winner, and finally edge the Mustangs 9 - 8 (3:56). (by Ryan Brothers, LHP 11th Grade)

Winter Park Edges Highlanders To Win First Annual Battle For O-Town Lax Tourney

(March 20th)  Oh no!  With eleven seconds to go!  Lake Highland (9 - 3; 5 - 0 district) suffered its third loss of the year to the rival Winter Park Wildcats losing 11 - 10.  Winter Park got up early, scoring thirty seconds into the first quarter. Without missing a beat the Wildcats got another goal putting them up quickly 2 - 0 with 10:20 still left in the first.  After the slow start for the Highlanders they were able to find their way.  Morgan Clark started the scoring frenzy with 8:40 still left in the quarter. The tension rose as both teams couldn’t seem to keep possession very long as the defensive pressure began to increase.  Eric Fernandez caused a turnover, and with the play came cheers from the sideline which fueled Will Rotatori finding the back of the net with 2:31 to go, capping off the first quarter in favor of Lake Highland 5 - 3.  The second quarter proved all good things must come to an end.  Winter Park found their stride quickly tying the game at 5 all.  Lake Highland answered with 8:30 left in the quarter, and Nick St. Laurent got his second goal of the night with a pass from Will Rotatori making the score 6 - 5.  The quarter came to a halt leaving the teams at a 6-6 stand still.  To start off the second half scoring was none other than Nick St. Laurent with a nice look from Jake Raiken.  Nick got the hatter but it didn’t seem to matter since Winter Park was able to answer with three goals of there own before Lake Highland could counter.  Will Rotatori put on his dancing shoes and managed to get a shot off slipping through the goalies 5-hole with .8 seconds left in the quarter.  9 - 8 Winter Park going into the fourth proved to be the big advantage. The Highlanders had to try and march back after the Wildcats kept turning away any hopes for a come back.  Winter Park scored with 9:46 left in the fourth putting them up 10-8.  Winston Taylor answered with a rip of his own, sneaking through untouched down the middle with 9:30 left.  Warren Berenis was able to turn away shots left and right doing everything short of standing on his head.  Morgan Clark rewarded his efforts by capitalizing for a goal with a nice pass from Brian Rotatori with 3:47 left.  High energy mode kicked in for both teams.  With each shot there was great anxiety.  In the final minutes Lake Highland got the ball and it looked as if they might have a last ditch effort to score, but Winter Park’s attackman, number four, was able to split the defenders and dunk it over Warren with 11.9 seconds left.  The game ended 11-10 in favor of the Wildcats, leading them to the first championship in the O-Town Showdown.

Lake Highland Bounces Back With 12 - 6 Win Over Timber Creek

(March 19th) The first annual Battle for O-Town started off with a Lake Highland (9 - 2; 5 - 0 district) 12 - 6 romp over Timber Creek.  The first quarter was a tightly knit match for a majority of the quarter.  Brian Rotatori was able to increase the Highlanders lead to 3 - 1 with just 36 seconds left on the clock. No less than a blink of an eye later did Timber Creek get a goal of their own ending the first period at 3 - 2 in favor of Lake Highland.  The second quarter also started off slow, and with slow play came a lot of penalties. Neither team could capitalize on the man-up opportunities. Timber Creek was first to break through the barrier scoring with 2:00 left on the clock. Coach Spaulding called a timeout with 1:14 remaining which in the past had proved to always work in the Highlanders advantage, but this time lady luck was not on their side and with 8 seconds left in the first half Timber Creek scored yet another goal putting them up 4-3.  With the big MO on the side of Timber Creek, they headed into the third with a new bounce to their step.  Their toes were quickly stepped on by Nick St. Laurent at the 10:47 mark for his second goal of the night.  With yet another momentum shift Morgan Clark got a nifty pass from Will Rotatori leading to a goal 35 seconds later.  Goals continued to be traded back and forth between both teams until the Highlanders finally found their mojo.  A turnover led to a fast break, executed to perfection, leading to another goal by Morgan Clark from Billy Ziegler with 9:31 left. By the end of the third quarter Lake Highland had the lead to 10 - 6 with the help from Warren Berenis bailing them out of some tough situations. The fourth quarter brought two more goals from Will early at 10:19 and Nick St. Laurent getting his fourth tally on the night at 4:10. The game would come to a holt at 12-6 bringing the Highlanders one game closer to owning O-Town. Their next game is Saturday, March 20 against Winter Park.

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Highlanders Fall To Out Of State Foe

(Mar. 17^th) – The Highlanders (8-2; 5-0 district) lost to Ft. Collins Unified (FoCo) in St. Petersburg. FoCo was playing their 3^rd game having lost their first 2 and were determined to record their first win of the 2010 season. LHP won the first possession and got off a good shot but FoCo’s All-American goalie made a good save. FoCo came back with a solid possession – passing the ball crisply and accurately for over minute. After several shots and saves by Warren, LHP forced a turnover and Tommy ran it up the field. A FoCo penalty gave us a man-up opportunity. LHP got a couple shots off but the FoCo goalie made a couple good saves. After some back and forth turnovers FoCo was on the attack and drew first blood about halfway through the first quarter.  A LHP penalty put FoCo man-up - a good save by Warren foiled their opportunity. Bones picked up a ground ball, ran up the right side, fed Morgan on the left, Morgan quickly hit Billy on the crease and it was tied 1-1 which was the score at the end of the first quarter. The battle continued tight well into the second quarter, but FoCo went on a run to build a 6-1 lead at halftime. The third quarter started like the second quarter ended with FoCo expanding its lead to 9-1. Brian scored the second LHP goal to bring the score to 9-2. With about a minute left in the third quarter, FoCo crossed checked Malcolm to the ground. We all saw FoCo choking Malcolm on the ground except apparently the refs – no penalty. But that seemed to fuel LHP to turn the game around. LHP battled tougher coming out in the fourth. Still FoCo scored another to bring the score to 10-2. But that was it for FoCo. Billy Ziegler brought us back to 10-3. Warren came up with more good saves. Nick St. Laurent brought us back to 10-4, Bones brought us back to 10-5 with less than 2 min left and scored the final goal with seconds on the clock for a final of 10-6.

Lake Highland Survives Scare In Road Win

(Mar. 9th) – The Highlanders (8 -1; 5 – 0 district) escaped Jacksonville tonight with a 10 – 9 win over the host Bolles Bulldogs. Whether it was the let down after the emotional loss to St. Andrews on Saturday, the disjointed flow of the game due to numerous penalties or the aggressive Bolles defense, Lake Highland never seemed to find a consistent rhythm. Indicative of the frustration was the Highlanders lack of success in man-up situations. Out of nine opportunities, the Highlanders capitalized only twice and Bolles scored an equal amount of shorthanded goals. Even after taking a 9 – 5 lead late in the third quarter the Highlanders survived a frantic Bolles rally and needed a Nick St. Laurent game winning goal with :24 left in the game to seal the win. Lake Highland opened the scoring at the 10:32 mark of the first quarter on an unassisted score by Will Rotatori. Bolles scored a minute later to tie the score but more noteworthy was the loss of defenseman Tommy Maroon to injury for the balance of the evening. The Highlanders built a 4 – 1 lead with the last goal coming on a Davis Anderson shot that trickled past the Bolles goalie. The teams traded goals in the second quarter with Lake Highland going into the break leading 7 – 4. The third quarter opened with more of the same; uneven flow, penalties and turnovers by both teams. However, the Highlanders took control of the game at the 4:00 minute mark of the period, holding the ball until Winston Taylor scored off a ground ball pick-up at the 1:40 mark to make the score 9 – 5 in favor of Lake Highland. The ball control, and the momentum, would not continue as Bolles dominated the fourth quarter and tied the score at 9 – 9 with 2:30 left to play. As champions do, the Highlanders rose to the occasion and after a time-out with 1:35 remaining, Nick St. Laurent took the feed from Jake Raiken and buried the lefty rip from the top of the box. Nick was leading scorer on the night with 3 goals and 2 assists. Will Rotatori and Morgan Clark each had 2 goals and an assist. The Highlanders take a break before playing the Vipers of Ft. Collins Unified, Colorado next Wednesday in St. Petersburg.

Oh So Close!  Highlanders Lose By One To St. Andrews

(Mar. 6th) - Saturday afternoon the Highlanders (7 - 1; 5 - 0 district) faced off against perenniel state power St. Andrews in their most highly anticipated match-up of the year.  Lake Highland looked as ready as they have all year, but that ceased to stop St. Andrews' offensive attack as they were able to squeak out a 14 - 13 win.  The Scots struck first and opened up scoring 10:40 into the first quarter, but the Highlanders lost no hope and were able to retie the game with an Eric Johnson goal assisted by Will Rotatori.  St. Andrews was able to pull ahead 3-2 after the first quarter of play.  The second quarter wasn’t a friendly quarter for Lake Highland.  The Scots had a second quarter romp, where number 4 for the Scots proved to be a dominant force causing problems for the Highlander defense. They got four goals in a row putting Lake Highland in a tough situation.  Trailing 8 - 3 with 1:41 left in the quarter Lake Highland found life tallying two late goals from Morgan Clark and Will Rotatori leaving the Highlanders down 8 - 5 heading into the third. The momentum carried into the second half.  Coach Spaulding put some spring in his players steps as they had a rally of their own in the third quarter. Davis Anderson found the back of the net as he was falling to the ground after a tightly knit pass from Will Rotatori with 8:26 left.  Next was Jake Raiken to step up to the plate, and he let one fly, ripping one past the goalie to make the game 7 - 8 with 7:01 left.  Less than a minute later Davis once again was able to score from a position he seemed to fancy, the ground.  With the game all knotted up 8 all in the third quarter with 6:37 left, St. Andrews would not go down quietly.  Number four and number 20 for the Scots combined for eight goals themselves in the game and left the Highlanders seeking yet another comeback going into the fourth quarter down 11 - 9.  Hype surrounded both teams, and the fans became more rowdy than before as the fourth quarter began. After a goal from Morgan Clark to start off the fourth, and two goals from Nick St. Laurent the Highlanders still found themselves down 14 - 12 with 5:03 left in the game. Will Rotatori rejuvenated everyone’s hopes after a sneaky goal with 2:57 left. St. Andrews double teamed Will after that goal which opened up chances for the offense to move the ball.  A turnover with 30 seconds left put the ball on the front doorstep of the Scots but to no avail and the last five seconds clicked away.  Both teams left everything they had on the field in one of the best games ever played in central Florida.  The crowd of over 1,300 got what they hoped to see; two of the best teams in the state testing each other every minute of the game.  The two teams will meet again April 2nd in Boca Raton.  Next up for the Highlanders is a road trip to the Bolles School on Tuesday, March 9th.

Highlanders Complete Sweep Of District with 9 - 6 Win Over Bishop Moore 

(Feb. 25th) - Thursday night Lake Highland (6 - 0; 4 - 0 district) took on the Edgewater Eagles at home and started out a little shaky. With 10:44 left in the first quarter they got a penalty and the Eagles were able to capitalize on the man-up advantage. The Highlanders took a timeout right after the goal, to put themselves back on track. They did just that with Morgan Clark coming to the rescue. He smoked one over the goalies head to tie the game 1-1. From that point on the attack stole the show combining for eleven goals throughout the entire game. Will Rotatori put on another star performance scoring goal after goal giving him six on the night. By the end of the first half the Eagles had dug themselves a hole and didn’t show any signs of coming back. The offensive ball movement played a huge role in their victory, but the defense also stepped up to the plate. With Quint Schenk out of the line-up with an injury the defense had to play hard, and that they did. Edgewater couldn’t get past the defense after the first goal, and Warren Berenis and Jack Zuckerman had another star studded effort in net. The final outcome was 20-1 Lake Highland. The Highlanders take on their rivals Bishop Moore at home, Tuesday night.  The Highlanders JV defeated Boone 13 - 1 to up their record to a perfect 6 - 0 on the season.  They also host Bishop Moore at home on Tuesday. (Ryan Brothers, LHP 11th grade)

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Unbeaten Streak At Five After Shutout Of Dr. Phillips

(Feb. 23rd) - Tuesday night the Highlanders (5 - 0; 3 - 0 district) faced off against Dr. Phillips High School, and the Highlanders hit the ground running in their first home game of the season.  The first goal came after a minute of play with Billy Ziegler finding the back of the net with a nice look from Will Rotatori.  After the first quarter the Highlanders went up by six and further distanced themselves in the second quarter.  It was evident that Lake Highland overpowered the Panthers, and with a five goal performance from Nick St. Laurent it was apparent why.  The Highlanders dominated in all aspects of the game, and even with the number of man-up opportunities Dr. Phillips had they couldn't get past the strong defense of the Highlanders.  The ball movement was suberb with a number of Highlanders getting helpers in the process.  When the second half came the clock was running, and the Highlanders rolled on with seven more goals to top off the game.  Warren Berenis and Jack Zuckerman led the Highlanders to a shutout turning away every shot that came their way.  The final score was an astonishing twenty to nothing.  Lake Highland looks to come away with another victory at home Thursday night against Edgewater.  The Highlanders JV remained unbeaten as well recording a 25 - 3 win against the Panthers JV.  The JV record is 5 - 0 for the season and they next play this Thursday at 6:00p versus the visiting Boone Braves.

Story written by Ryan Brothers (LHP 11th grade). 

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Highlanders Defeat Freedom 17 to 3

(Feb. 18th) - The Lake Highland varsity (4 - 0; 2 - 0 district) remain unbeaten and virtually untested after cruising to a 17 - 3 victory Thursday night at Freedom High Scool.  Once again the Highlanders jumped out to an early lead and never looked back as the game went to a running clock in the second half after LHP gained a twelve goal margin.  In continuation of the early season theme of multiple players scoring, nine different Highlanders found the back of the net.  Will Rotatori led the scoring parade with 5 goals and 2 assists.  Big brother Brian Rotatori added 3 goals and Morgan Clark and Grant Phillips each had 2 goals and 2 assists.  Bill Ziegler (1G 2A), Nick St. Laurent (1G 1A) and Davis Anderson, Malcolm Clayton and Winston Taylor (1G each) completed the score sheet.  Warren Berenis was outstanding in goal and the Highlanders held a wide advantage in ground balls, face-offs won and caused turnovers / takeaways.  The Highlanders open their home schedule next Tuesday night at 8:00p versus the Panthers of Dr. Phillips (0 - 3; 0 - 2 district).  The Highlanders JV play the Dr. Phillips JV at 6:00p.  The junior varsity Highlanders record is a perfect 4 - 0 after a 19 - 0 win at Freedom recording their second shutout of the season. 

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LHP Wins First District Game

(Feb. 16th) - The Highlanders (3 - 0; 1 - 0 district) opened district play tonight with a convincing victory on a cold evening at Olympia High School.  The Highlanders built a 13 - 1 halftime lead, started the heaters on the bus, and cruised to a 15 - 3 victory over the Titans.  Lake Highland dominated play at both ends of the field with a balanced scoring attack, aggresive defense and outstanding goalie play.  Seven different Higlanders scored goals led by Will Rotatori (4), Nick St. Laurent (3) and Malcolm Clayton (3).  For the third straight game, much of the second half was played under a running clock.  The Highlanders next game is a district match Thursday night at Freedom (1 - 2).  The Highlanders JV stand at 3 - 0 on the season after beating the junior Titans 13 - 1.  The game was highlighted by one of the sweetest hidden ball tricks of all time. 

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Highlanders Improve To 2 - 0 With Win Over Barron Collier

(Feb. 13th) - While the 16 - 2 score was the same as the season opener, the Highlanders took a different path to victory in defeating Naples Barron Collier this afternoon at Winter Springs High School.  Barron Collier, coming off a 17 win season in 2009 as an independent program, tested the Highlander defense repeatedly during the contest played on a still sloppy field from the previous day rain.  Goalie Warren Berenis and the entire defense were up to the task, holding the Cougars scoreless untill deep into the fourth period.  On the offensive end, the Highlanders used their outstanding face-off work to set up a balanced scoring attack.  Brian Rotatori and Malcolm Clayton combined to win 9 of 10 face-offs in the first half with many leading directly to a goal.  Will Rotatori led all scorers with 4 goals and 4 assists and Morgan Clark added 2 goals and 2 assists.  The Highlanders next go on the road to Olympia on Tuesday, February 16th at 7:30p for the first of five straight district games.  Olympia is 1 - 0 on the season.  The Highlanders JV take on the host Olympia JV at 6:00p.

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Highlanders Win Season Opener

(Feb. 10th) - The Highlanders (1-0) opened the 2010 season tonight with a convincing 16 - 2 win over host Oviedo.  The Highlanders controlled the game from the opening face-off and built a 13 - 1 advantage at halftime.  The second half was played under a running clock.  The Highlanders were led by their attackmen including game leading scorer Bill Ziegler (5 goals and 1 assist) and Will Rotatori (4 goals and 3 assists).  With the Highlanders leading 9 -1 in the 2nd quarter, Will put together a highlight reel scoring all four of his goals in a 6:30 minute span including a lefty on the run rip to the top left corner of the net.  The Highlanders played well at the defensive end of the field as well and were led by goalies Warren Berenis and Jack Zuckerman.  The Highlanders now prepare for two games this weekend starting at Winter Springs on Friday starting at 6:00p

The Highlanders JV improved their record to 2 - 0 with a 8 - 2 win over the junior Lions of Oviedo.