Bainbridge beats Issaquah in a state semifinal game, will play Mercer for state title.
Many of the players on the Bainbridge boys’ lacrosse team have never played for a state title.
That will change after the Spartans defeated Issaquah 13-9 Wednesday night in a Division I state semifinal game at Memorial Stadium at Bainbridge High School. They play Mercer Island at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center for the state championship.
It is the first time since 2008 that the boys’ lacrosse team will play for a state title. They have fallen short in the semifinals the past two years.
“To be honest, it’s the greatest feeling,” senior midfielder Jacob Goodman said. “A lot of us have never made it that far, so it’s a great feeling.”
Both teams had trouble getting a shot on goal in the first quarter. While Bainbridge was forcing turnovers and getting ground balls, they could not capitalize.
Even when the Eagles had an advantage on a two-minute penalty, they could not score.
Goodman finally got the team on the board with a score off an assist from Sam Deery-Schmitt.
Alex Rabin followed with a goal off an assist from Cameron Parker after a Issaquah penalty.
In the second quarter, Jake Fritz scored off an unsettled situation, but the Spartans turned up the heat as they began connecting on their shots.
Jacob Knostman scored off an assist from Rabin as Knostman slipped behind the defense and found himself in front of the cage.
Goodman connected on a shot a few minutes later after a long possession while Alex Crane put in a one-timer off a pass from Goodman.
“That was the key to the game – we came out hot to start the game,” Goodman said. “We’ve rarely done that all season against a good team so it was great to come out hot and run them into the ground.”
Bainbridge continued the run in the third quarter as Crane scored off a long possession while Parker scored off an assist from Knostman.
They also got a hand from the Eagles as Aidan McDonald tried to push the ball back to his goalie, but he was not paying attention as the ball went over the line for an own goal.
Issaquah went on a 5-0 run to end the game, but the deficit was too great to overcome.
Goodman said it is no secret who they wanted to face in the title bout.
“We want to play Mercer,” he said. “We want to take it to them and take another state title away from them” as they did in 2007 when they beat Mercer 9-7.
