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Steamboat lacrosse sinks Summit, 7-1

Tigers offense struggles against rival Sailors

Bryce Evans/Summit Daily News
Summit High School’s Ben Daniels winds up and fires a shot against Steamboat Springs on Tuesday afternoon. Daniels scored the first goal of the game for Summit in the second quarter. Steamboat won, 7-1.
Courtesy Photo





Summit High School’s Ben Daniels winds up and fires a shot against Steamboat Springs on Tuesday afternoon. Daniels scored the first goal of the game for Summit in the second quarter. Steamboat won, 7-1.

— The ball was barely visible through the swirling snow as Steamboat Springs’ Lance Ostrom caught a pass in the high slot with a little less than three minutes remaining in the game. The Sailors midfielder took a step toward the goal and rifled the ball clean into the top-right corner.

It was a pretty play, a sharp shot and a goal that put an exclamation point on Steamboat’s 7-1 win against the Summit High School boys’ lacrosse team Tuesday at the Tigers’ Climax Molybdenum Field.

Both teams struggled through frigid temperatures, a howling wind and some sloppy offensive play in what likely will wind up being the game that decided the Mountain League title.



“We weren’t crisp,” Summit head coach Karl Barth said. “Whether that was because of their defense or just that we weren’t crisp, who knows? I thought they defended really well.”

Ostrom had two goals and an assist, and Wilber Ranieri scored three times for the Sailors.



“I’m pleased with our guys, they kept hustling, and I thought we played pretty well on both sides of the field,” Steamboat head coach Bob Hiester said. “But we never got to a point where we felt comfortable with the lead.”

It seemed more like neither team felt comfortable on the field all afternoon.

Both teams came into the game carrying quite a bit of momentum having both made easy work of their respective league opponents.

And, with first place in the conference up for grabs, the Sailors were the ones who got on top first.

Steamboat scored three early goals — two from Ranieri — and jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

Possession was nearly even throughout the first half, but the Tigers managed just one goal — a well-placed, shortside shot from junior Ben Daniels.

The Sailors meanwhile beat Tigers goalie Garrett Tousey four times in the opening two quarters, each coming on quick-stick shots in the slot, none of which Tousey had much of a chance on.

“We just weren’t accurate, and we made a few mistakes,” Barth said. “You pay for those.”

The Tigers controlled play for much of the third quarter and moved the ball well on offense. Yet, Summit couldn’t seem to find any quality chances.

And while Summit struggled to get shots, Steamboat capitalized on its few chances.

Ostrom gave the Sailors a 6-1 lead early in the fourth on a back-door cut, and his final shot late in the game sealed the win.

“Our defense was good, but unfortunately, we only got 11 shots on goal,” Barth said. “It’s hard to win when you don’t score.”

Now, the Sailors look to have the upper hand in the race for the league title.

“It’s big,” Hiester said about the win. “Summit was one of the big ones we had to win.”

The Tigers, meanwhile, have to regroup, Barth said. They host Shrine Pass-rival Battle Mountain on Thursday in another league game.

“We have to bounce back for Thursday because Battle Mountain will be tough. … They’re very improved over last year,” Barth said. We’ve “got to bounce back and hopefully learn from our mistakes.”


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