Archive for Sunday, August 17, 2008

Kurt Dzaman, of the Denver Hooligans, (red helmet) braces for hits from Colorado School of Mines players Nicholas Carroll, left, and Trent Noonan, right,  after grabbing the ball in first-round play of Saturday's lacrosse tournament.

Photo by Joel Reichenberger

Kurt Dzaman, of the Denver Hooligans, (red helmet) braces for hits from Colorado School of Mines players Nicholas Carroll, left, and Trent Noonan, right, after grabbing the ball in first-round play of Saturday's lacrosse tournament.

Bonesaws cut up competition

Steamboat lacrosse wins twice, earns semifinal match today

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— The Steamboat Bonesaws are in the exact position the team wants.

After two wins Saturday - 6-5 against Vail and 6-3 against Fort Lewis - in the Cantina-Budweiser Steamboat Men's Lacrosse Tournament, the Bonesaws moved into a noon semifinal game today.

It also meant the Steamboat Springs team has the potential to see the Denver Hooligans, who beat Steamboat in last year's championship and who is on the other side of the semifinal draw.

"We want them again. They beat us last year," said Steamboat goalie Andy Flax, who had 12 saves in the two games, most of which came at the most opportune times. "We watched them play, and they've got good stick skills, but we can still play better."

Steamboat had its ups and downs on Day 1 of the tournament.

In the team's first game, against Vail, Steamboat jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Vail mounted a comeback. Still, behind three goals from Rob Larson, Steamboat was able to advance.

In the second game, against Fort Lewis, Steamboat looked like the far superior team as they dominated the scoreboard and the pace of play. Steamboat got three first-half goals - one each from Sam Lane, Kevin Bertrand and Jake Flax - to jump out to a 3-1 lead.

Steamboat was able to get solid play all across the field. When Lane and Bertrand weren't scoring, Andy Flax more than made up for it in net.

The former Steamboat Springs High School player was able to thwart any attack Fort Lewis put forward.

"You just have to be ready for it," Flax said. "It could be slow one minute, and they could put the pressure on the next. They say you want to think about the next shot, and if you're ahead, it's a lot easier."

By the time Bertrand and Lane added their second goals and Eric Veum added one, Steamboat held a 6-1 lead with a couple minutes left in the second half.

"We don't have a lot of guys show up to practice. But instead of 1-on-1's, we really work on passing the ball," said Lane, who played for Washington College in Maryland, one of the top Division III programs in the nation. "I think that's really carried over into this tournament."

Steamboat continues play at noon today in the semifinals. The finals are scheduled for 2 p.m. All play happens at the Ski Town Fields, on Pine Grove Road next to the Tennis Center at Steamboat Springs.

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