HIGHLANDS RANCH — The Mountain Vista boys lacrosse team knew it would have its hands full attempting to slow down Denver South’s John Hogsett, one of the most productive scorers in the state.
In this match, the Golden Eagles’ best defense was a dominant offense.
No. 10 Mountain Vista barely allowed any scoring chances by the 23rd-seeded Rebels, controlling possession in a 15-3 victory Friday in a state tournament first-round game at Shea Stadium.
“We won every loose ball battle, and that was really the key because then we had possession for maybe 90 percent of the game,” Mountain Vista coach Jose Trujillo said.
Hogsett entered the match ranked second in the state with 55 goals, but the junior attacker was unable to get on track. Hogsett scored the Rebels’ first goal to tie the match 1-1 before Mountain Vista scored eight consecutive goals.
Mountain Vista (10-6) scored four goals in a 3-minute, 2-second span in the first quarter and led 9-2 at halftime. The Golden Eagles then outscored the Rebels 6-0 in the third quarter.
“This was a good performance and a good start to the postseason,” Mountain Vista senior Nick Hillier said. “That was something we always are trying to do — really control the ball and keep it on offense, so that when there are guys like (Hogsett), they can’t get the ball and they can’t score their goals.”
Hillier sparked a balanced Mountain Vista attack with two goals and three assists in the decisive first quarter. Jack Suttman recorded six goals for the Golden Eagles, and Christian Thomas added three goals and an assist.
“We’re a pretty well-balanced team, and we take whatever the defense is giving us,” Trujillo said. “Nick is our first option in attack. When we see an opportunity, we like to let Nick take the play from behind (the net). He’s just so solid at that position. The key is to get the defense moving with the way we move the ball around. Whoever happens to be in front of the cage gets the goal on that particular play. It’s great to see them believe in their teammates and keep that ball hot.”
Denver South 1 1 0 1 — 3
Mountain Vista 7 2 6 0 — 15
Goals — MV: J. Suttman 6, Thomas 3, Hillier 2, Nelson 2, Zamora 2; DS: Hogsett, Ellis, Jameson. Assists — MV: Hillier 4, Taggart 2, Thomas, Zamora.
Saves — MV: Fiore 5; DS: Edwards 3; Canady 2.
