LITTLETON — There were some preseason doubts surrounding the boys lacrosse team after the graduation of 18 seniors on last year’s state championship team.
But there were no doubts Wednesday night at Littleton Public Schools Stadium. At least in the first half.
Hunter Hall scored four goals in the first period and top-ranked Arapahoe scored three goals in a 30-second span early in the second en route to a over . The Warriors opened by scoring the game’s first 10 goals.
“We’re hitting the home stretch of the season and we want to go all out and just keep building to a state championship. You know, it’s just one game at a time. (We have to) keep that one game at a time in our view,” Hall said.
The chemistry Arapahoe (11-1) had last year may have been a concern when this season began, but it didn’t look like there were many reasons for stress early in Wednesday’s game against the Cougars (5-4).
“The leaders have really stepped up, stepped into their roles quite well,” said Arapahoe coach Guy Cerasoli. “There’s no selfish play. Everybody plays really unselfishly. It’s always a team effort. I don’t think we’ve had one game where we’ve had less than six guys score a goal.”
As dominating as Arapahoe’s first half was, though, the second half was a different story.
The Cougars, who have lost three straight, were never in the game, at least on the scoreboard. But when Caleb Hahne scored with 3 minutes, 38 seconds left in the first half for Cherokee Trail’s first goal, the crowd roared its approval and the Cougars’ nonexistent offense finally came to play. Cherokee Trail showed some life with four consecutive goals between the second and third periods.
“We just had to come out and start playing like we can play. We can play with anyone. We just needed to come out, play hard and work as a team,” said sophomore Dylan Duresky, who scored Cherokee Trail’s sixth goal.
But even with Cherokee Trail’s best effort during the final 28 minutes, there was no overcoming the early 10-goal deficit. Especially against, arguably, the best team in the state.
Cherokee Trail … 0-2-2-2 — 6
Arapahoe … 4-6-2-0—12
Scoring:
First period: A — Hunter Hall (Dylan Leary), 10:59. A — Hall (Bryce Parietti), 8:16. A — Hall (Jack Bobzien), 6:53. A — Hall (Parietti), 1:55.
Second period: A — Parietti (Bobzien), 11:23. A — Leary, 10:31. A — Parietti (Andrew Ronald), 10:23. A — Conor Ryan (Hall), 10:01. A — Brett Menter (Adam Jones), 7:08. A — Jones (Bobzien), 4:05. CT — Caleb Hahne, 3:38. CT — Sean Himmelberg, 2:40.
Third period: CT — Cody Godfrey (Gage Snowbarger), 8:12. CT — Hahne, 7:56. A — Hall (Bobzien), 3:44. A — Connor McHugh (Greg Bechler), 1:12.
Fourth period: CT — Dakota Havernack, 10:03. CT — Duresky, 6:37
Saves:
Arapahoe — Scott Thompson, 9; Cherokee Trail — Kenny Marincin, 6
