Dakota Ridge junior Samuel Arfsten (7) attempts to shake free from a pair of Lakewood players Friday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
LAKEWOOD — Dakota Ridge’s boys lacrosse needed someone to step up in overtime Friday at Trailblazer Stadium.
With the Eagles’ undefeated record on the line, senior midfielder Max Mowry scored in the first couple of minute of overtime against Lakewood to give Dakota Ridge a 14-13 victory in the Class 5A Jeffco League game.
“We knew coming into this it was going to be tough,” said Mowry, who scored a trio of goals in the win. “I knew I had to step it up. It’s awesome being a senior because you know you have to step it up.”
Mowry and the rest of the Eagles’ offense had to step it up with four starters out of the line-up. Leading scorer Nick Scott (18 goals), Drew Eickelman (7 goals), Jake Eickelman and starting goalie Brendan Williams were all at a club hockey tournament.
Lakewood’s Evan Woods (2) fires a shot on Dakota Ridge goalie Alan Goddard. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“It was a different look. It was hard to approach this game,” Dakota Ridge first-year coach James Foote admitted. “All four of those guys start for us. We didn’t really have our identity today. We called some guys up from JV today and made it work. We got lucky there in the end.”
The Eagles got off to a good start with a 4-0 lead in the opening quarter. However, Lakewood went in a 4-0 run to start the second half to actually grab a 9-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Lakewood sophomore attacker Evan Woods led the way with six goals and senior Anthony Brooks won several key face-offs to give the Tigers a chance to pull off the upset.
“The way we responded in the second half was particularly good,” Lakewood coach Eric Seelbach said.
Dakota Ridge regained the lead 13-10 with less than two minutes remaining in regulation time with goals from Gage Evans, Jacobi Villamaria, Samuel Arfsten and Carson Langfield.
Dakota Ridge’s Elijah Rose, left, cuts off Lakewood’s Matt Stark’s path to the goal. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“The senior leadership today was huge,” Foote said. “Carter Jones is going to go this whole season and not get a whole lot of recognition. He forced four turnovers in the fourth quarter and into overtime.”
Lakewood was able to rally with a 3-0 run in the final 1:50 with goals from Kegan Hufford, Tristan Roberts and Woods to send the game into overtime. The Tigers had a possession and a chance to get the game-winning goal, but it just wasn’t meant to be.
“Our whole thing this year is we’ve got to be focused and ready to go. We are an extremely talented team,” Seelbach said. “I don’t believe there is anyone on our schedule that should expect to beat us easily, but when you come out and give a 4-goal lead early its hard to win any day.”
Dakota Ridge (5-0 overall, 1-0 5A Jeffco), No. 10 in the latest CHSAANow.com 5A boys lacrosse rankings, has a non-league game against Boulder on Monday, April 10, before a key 5A Jeffco League showdown against rival Columbine scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 12, at Trailblazer Stadium.
“This is the best start in the program’s history. Next week is tough. It gets tougher from here,” Foote said. “I have to give all the credit to the guys — new coach, new style and new systems.”
The Rebels a currently ranked No. 4 in 5A.
Lakewood (4-4, 0-2) has the chance for a winning season. The Tigers have already reached their win total of four games reached in the past two seasons.
The Tigers’ next game is in a week when they face another young program in Bear Creek at 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 14, at Trailblazer Stadium.
Dakota Ridge is off to its best start in the program’s history under first-year head coach James Foote. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)