Lacrosse town rivalry: Matanzas outlasts Flagler Palm Coast 8-5 for first win over the Bulldogs in five years

FPC was playing its season opener under new coach Matt Massey.

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Over two years ago, when it looked like Matanzas might not field a boys lacrosse team for the 2022 season, Anthony Tavolacci’s older brother, Dominic, transferred to Flagler Palm Coast.

This year, Anthony, a freshman, is a starting defender on the Matanzas lacrosse team. On Thursday, Feb. 22, he helped the Pirates beat the Bulldogs for the first time in five years.

“This is probably the biggest game of the year,” he said after the Pirates’ 8-5 victory on their home field broke FPC’s four-game winning streak against them. “This is the game I’ve been envisioning in my mind.”

The lead changed hands five times before Vincent Ferrugiaro put Matanzas up for good at 6-5 with 7:58 left in the game. The Pirates added two more goals in the final 2 minutes, 19 seconds.

“I think we wore them down,” Matanzas coach Adam Frys said. “We’re very balanced, very deep and we tend to play better in the second half.”

Matanzas improved to 3-2, while FPC was playing its first game of the season. Bulldogs coach Matt Massey was hired just six weeks ago. He inherited a young team that graduated 14 seniors, including Dominic Tavolacci.

“We don’t have a lot of depth, but we do have a lot of fight,” Massey said. “We’re going through our growing pains.”

Frys understands their circumstances. At his first practice two years ago, he was greeted by a total of seven players.

“Matt came into the same situation I came into two years ago,” Frys said. “We’ve got a lot of overlapping story.”

Massey moved here with his family in April. He grew up in Maryland, a lacrosse hotbed, played college lacrosse at Coastal Carolina, and coached at a high school and a couple of travel teams in Georgia. Frys played college lacrosse at Hartwick College and was an assistant high school coach near Binghamton — both in the lacrosse hotbed of Central New York State.

When Massey was hired at FPC, he and Frys got together to discuss how they can advance lacrosse in Flagler County.

“It’s just us here,” Frys said. “We have to work together. We had some FPC kids playing with us in our summer program. Their goalie (sophomore Aiden Commendatore) ran with us all summer.”

Commendatore had 17 saves in the game as the Pirates pummeled the Bulldogs’ goal with 25 shots.

“Our goalie’s phenomenal,” Massey said.

Senior midfielder Jordan Gales weaved through traffic to score four of FPC’s five goals. He also assisted on a goal by James Payne that tied the score for the final time at 5-5 with 10:23 left in the fourth quarter.

“We put a lot on Jordan's shoulders,” Massey said.

“That kid’s incredible,” Frys said of Gales.

Jonathan Santiago scored four goals for Matanzas. Ferrugiaro and Mason Bertolini added two goals apiece for the Pirates. Senior midfielder Zach Furey had three assists.

Frys said that after losing to the Bulldogs by 11 or more goals in three games over the past two seasons, winning got “the boogeyman off my back.

Even if you don’t think it’s a big deal, in Flagler County it’s a big deal. Our players are going to enjoy this one for sure.”
— ADAM FRYS, Matanzas boys lacrosse coach

“It kind of hovers over you,” he said of the rivalry. “Even if you don’t think it’s a big deal, in Flagler County it’s a big deal. Our players are going to enjoy this one for sure.”

Massey told his players not to hang their heads, because it was only their first game. He left the field encouraged.

“I love the rivalry,” he said. “It was fun.”

Both teams have home games scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 27. Matanzas will host St. Johns Beachside (0-2), while FPC will meet Tocoi Creek (2-2).

 

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