Anthony Mantz, Liberty High School midfielder, runs in to try a shot on the Mount Si goal in the third quarter as Zane Berhold defends during their May 2 lacrosse match. Mantz had an assist and a goal in the game. By Greg Farrar
Freshman Blake Picchena scored four goals to lead Mount Si High School’s lacrosse team to its ninth win of the season with an 11-3 defeat of the Liberty Patriots on May 2 at Liberty High School.
The Liberty team has won three games this season.
The win helped second-place Mount Si keep pace two games behind Evergreen Conference-leading Overlake.
Mount Si’s defense held Liberty scoreless in the first half, while its offense scored one goal in the first quarter and two goals in the second for a 3-0 half-time lead.
Sophomore attackman Colin Ross got Liberty on the board with 8:55 left in the third quarter on a shot assisted by Colin Larson. Ross struck again with 5:15 left in the fourth with an assist from Anthony Mantz for Liberty’s second goal before Mantz added a final score for the Patriots in the fourth.
The Patriots would have had an additional goal in the contest, but Mount Si freshman Tyler Smith stepped in for Wildcats goal keeper Cameron Pike and got his first-ever save when Pike was out of the goal.
“Our goalie came around on the left side and he ran it up the field to try to clear it up,” Smith said. “Nothing was open so he threw it up, but one of their guys got it and passed it up to a guy in the crease. I had gone back into the goal in the heat of the moment and knocked it down. It was a great moment, that’s all I know.”
But Mount Si scored three more goals in the third before finishing the game with a five-goal fourth quarter.
Ross was also instrumental in getting Liberty on the board previously in the season. He scored four goals and had one assist to lead the club to a 10-5 win against South Kitsap April 21 at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Port Orchard.
The win was the third of the season for Liberty, which sits in last place of the Division II Evergreen Conference, trailing conference leader Overlake by four games. Overlake remains undefeated in the season.
South Kitsap led the first quarter, 2-1, but Liberty maintained a steady scoring pace throughout the game with three, two and four points scored in the following three quarters, respectively.
South Kitsap scored an additional three goals in the third quarter.
Kellen Kennedy had three goals for South Kitsap, which sits in fourth place of the Division II Olympic Conference, three and a half games behind conference leader Gig Harbor.
On April 17, Liberty dropped a close game against Edmonds after Jordan Tindall scored his only goal of the night just 25 seconds into sudden-death overtime, giving Edmonds a 7-6 win against Liberty at Maywood Middle School in Renton. The win was the sixth of the year for the first-year Edmonds program.
Tindall’s goal came after Liberty’s Ross evened the game at 6-6 with 53 seconds remaining in overtime. The goal was the 12th of the season for the Meadowdale High School sophomore.
Edmonds opened scoring, taking a 3-0 lead in the first and then matched Liberty’s solo goal in the second for a 4-1 half-time lead. In the third, Liberty added three goals, but Edmonds’ two goals kept the margin at 6-4 in favor of Edmonds.
Ross’ fourth-quarter goal was the second for Liberty in the final stanza.
The Liberty team, in its third season as a club, is looking to expand, according to Amy Deex, treasurer of the club.
With more students, the club aims to field varsity and junior varsity teams every year in the future, she said. She also hopes to increase membership with the Liberty-associated lacrosse teams geared toward elementary and middle school-aged children.
Learn more about how to get involved with the Liberty Lacrosse Club at www.libertylacrosseclub.com.
Issaquah lacrosse
Matt O’Neill scored eight goals to keep the Issaquah club undefeated for its 17th win of the season with an 18-5 boys high school lacrosse defeat of King’s Way on May 5 at Columbia River High School in Vancouver, Wash.
The win kept the Eagles’ perfect record intact as Issaquah marches toward the post-season.
Issaquah wasted no time in dispatching King’s Way as the Eagles put up six goals in the first quarter and added five more goals in the second for an 11-2 half-time lead. After settling into a 3-3 tie in the third, Issaquah turned up the volume in the fourth adding four unanswered goals to close out the scoring and the Knights.
Duncan Hamilton contributed with four goals and two assists, while O’Neil Hughes had three saves on goal for Issaquah.
Christina Lords: 392-6434, ext. 239, or newcastle@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.