AURORA — For Regis Jesuit, it wasn’t how it started. No, it was how the Raiders finished.
And they did so strongly.
After overcoming a two-goal deficit, the defending Class 5A state champion Raiders rolled upstart Mountain Vista 11-4 on Wenesday night in the semifinals at Legacy Stadium.
Regis Jesuit will take a 16-2 record into the final on Friday night at Sports Authority Field at Mile High against Cherry Creek, which the Raiders beat a year ago for their second title (they also won in 2011).
Trailing the Golden Eagles 3-1 in the first quarter, Regis Jesuit simply gathered itself, started to score and laid down a deciding defense that Mountain Vista didn’t crack until the final minute.
Goalie Brett Quartuccio was the main wall of many for the Raiders.
“We had a little bit of nerves, we knew what (the Golden Eagles) were going to do, but it came down to some nerves,” Quartuccio said. “But (coach Jim Soran) brought us together after their goals and we kind of just settled down.”
Along with defenders Adam Kratt, Conor Shea and Mike Wegner, Quartuccio and the Raiders put the clamps on the Golden Eagles, who had owned the first 12 minutes.
In addition, the Raiders’ scoring started to come. Chet Dunstan scored three of his four goals in the second half and Ben Bechter added two of his three. Mountain Vista, making its first semifinals showing, couldn’t answer. And even when the Golden Eagles got into position, the Raiders’ three-headed monster on defense either thwarted them or Quartuccio showed off with a quicker-than-you save.
“Our defense played a great game,” Soran said. “Early on, we just made some mental mistakes. We talked about cleaning those up and we got some things going.”
Bryan Hancock scored twice for the Golden Eagles, who ended 16-2.
The Raiders, who can go back-to-back, haven’t forgotten their 8-4 loss the past month to Cherry Creek.
The winners, Soran said, should be lacrosse players and fans in Colorado.
“It will make for a fabulous final,” he agreed.
Neil H. Devlin: ndevlin@denverpost.com or
