For the third straight year, No. 20 Stanford (12-8) defeated the No. 17 University of Denver women’s lacrosse team (13-6) in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship game, beating the Pioneers 9-8 Saturday in Berkeley, Calif.
DU sophomore Lexi Sanders (Cherry Creek High School) had a hat trick, but the star was Cardinal goalie Laura Shane, who made 17 saves and was named most valuable player. DU’s eight goals were six under its 14.4 season average.
Stanford had a 5-2 halftime lead and extended the lead with the first two tallies of the second half. Karen Morton, Tulley Stapp (Mullen High School) and Ali Flury scored to bring DU within one with 1:32 remaining, setting up Shane’s final heroics. She stopped a shot by Morton with nine seconds left.
Sky Sox fall in Memphis.
Brian Barden’s single to center in the eighth inning scored David Freese with the winning run for Memphis in a 6-5 victory over the visiting Colorado Springs Sky Sox in the Pacific Coast League.
The Sky Sox scored four of their five runs in the fourth, when they sent 10 men to the plate. Edwin Bellorin’s two-run double was the key hit. Seth Smith went 4-for-5 with an RBI. Losing starter Alberto Arias gave up two runs on four hits in two innings.
Women’s lacrosse championship tourney starts Wednesday.
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City will host the U.S. Lacrosse Women’s Division Intercollegiate Associates National Championship tournament starting Wednesday.
The championship game will be played Saturday at Invesco Field at Mile High. Cal-Santa Barbara is the top seed in the 16-team field.
Eagles down 0-2.
Colorado Eagles goalie Sebastien Laplante was pulled midway through the first period after Arizona scored three times on 13 shots as the Sundogs took a 2-0 lead in the Central Hockey League Ray Miron Cup finals with their 5-1 home victory. Erik Adams scored the lone Eagles goal on a power play 4:46 into the second period that made it 3-1. Game 3 is Wednesday night at the Budweiser Events Center.
