Boys lacrosse rolls on undefeated

Spartans get homefield for playoffs as they blow out Curtis.

After another successful season, the Bainbridge boys lacrosse team is ready for a run to the state title game.

They finished the regular season undefeated in league play with a 22-3 defeat of Curtis on a bitterly cold and windy Tuesday night.

It’s the fourth time the Spartans have scored 20 or more goals in a game this season. They’ve scored double digits in every game save three.

Assistant coach Dejon Hush feels they’re right where they want to be – undefeated or not.

“Our number one goal is to win a state championship,” he said. “Anything less than that would be a letdown with the group of guys that we have. Today I felt like it was the first step towards them playing polished lacrosse and working really well as a team.”

Bainbridge went on a 7-0 run to start the game, as Fiore Alailima scored on an assist from Evan Wright just two minutes into the first quarter while Casey Skelton scored two goals on assists from Dayton Gilbreath and Wright.

Sam Snow got in on the act with another assist from Wright, while Max Olson put on in after running a misdirection play with two of his teammates where they broke out of a quick huddle to hide who had the ball.

“For us, it’s pretty spread out,” Hush said. “We don’t have two or three dominating guys who get all the stats. Even the young guys get out there and put one in the cage for us and that’s great. No team can mark one specific person.”

Curtis finally broke through for a score when Jamie Yergler put one in at the 5:12 mark of the second quarter, but the Spartans couldn’t be denied, as Dylan Masi scored twice – one on a nice underhanded shot – off assists from Alalima and Olson.

Bjorn Ostenson and Snow scored as well thanks to great feeds from Wright and Clayton Knight.

The third quarter was all Bainbridge, as Knight, Masi and Snow all scored twice to put the game away.

Lund and Dayton Gilbreath added goals as well.

Meanwhile, the defense kept Curtis from making anything happen on offense while goalie Bryce Stevenson turned away the few shots that were taken on him.

Hush gave credit to their starting defenders in Bryan and Dayton Gilbreath along with Casey Weisner, Trent Burroughs and Stevenson for doing a fine job all season.

Bainbridge has allowed double-digit scores just twice all season – 12 goals in an exhibition game and 10 to Mercer Island.

“That’s definitely the strength of our team,” Hush said. “Some of them have been on varsity for the past three years so they’re experienced. They’ve made their share of mistakes and now it’s time for them to lead the team and that’s what they’re doing.”

“Bryce is coming along,” he said. “Every day he looks more like a goalie and more comfortable in his position. Being scared of the ball is never an issue with him.”

Thanks to their unbeaten record, the Spartans get homefield advantage with the restructured playoff brackets.

But Hush said they won’t get comfortable about it.

“I don’t look too much into that since we’ve lost in the semifinals at home the last two years,” he said, referring to their losses against Issaquah in 2005 and Mercer Island last year.

“We have to play our best game everytime we step onto the field. We don’t ever want to play down to an opponent.”

Masi said they need to keep their focus throughout.

“We can’t get complacent,” he said. “The last two years we’ve gotten complacent and got knocked out.”

Bainbridge plays tonight against Curtis again at 7 p.m.

If they win they get either Garfield or Issaquah next Wednesday.

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