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Steamboat lacrosse vs. Green Mountain

Steamboat Springs — If the Steamboat Springs High School boys lacrosse team is thinking bigger — it should be in the first year of Class 4A lacrosse — games like Saturday’s against Green Mountain could go a long way.

The Sailors were by no means sharp, allowing the Rams to hang around for three quarters. But in the end, Steamboat did enough to come away from the close battle with a 7-3 win.

“I think the thing with this group is again to make sure they’re not overconfident,” Steamboat coach Bob Hiester said. “That’s deadly.”

It would be expected that Steamboat might be that way. In the inaugural Class 4A poll, Steamboat slotted in at No. 3. The Sailors never have lost a Mountain League game, and the buzz around the program is at an all-time high.

But as much as Hiester has cautioned his team, he admitted its on the players to not be too overconfident.

So far, so good.

After blasting Eagle Valley on Friday, Steamboat found a game against Green Mountain on Saturday.

The Sailors jumped out to a 3-0, first-quarter lead on goals from Christian Ramirez, Ben Wharton and Mitch McCannon.

From there, the Rams started using their size and physicality to take the Sailors out of their offensive rhythm.

A Kyle Lichty goal made it 3-1 at halftime. McCannon added another in the third before Nick Dwyer scored near the end of the third to make it 4-2.

Eventually, Steamboat’s depth won out. The Sailors continued to get up and down the field in transition, wearing out Green Mountain.

Peter White scored two quick goals in the fourth quarter to make it 6-2. Jackson Perry’s shot made it 7-2, before Dwyer scored at the buzzer for the final result.

“We should have scored more,” McCannon conceded. “But it seemed like we were turning it over every other possession.”

Steamboat now preps for league play. Steamboat plays at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Aspen.

“I said it last year, and I’ll say it this year,” Hiester said. “We have this big target on our chest. We’ll get (Aspen’s) best.”

To reach Luke Graham, call 970-871-4229 or email lgraham@SteamboatToday.com