9-7 Comeback for Bellevue Over Issaquah
Bellevue wins the face-off in what could be the best game left in the regular season. Issy has home field advantage at stake, and Bellevue wants third badly.
Platt is running middy for Bellevue, and has the first shot. His shot goes out of bounds. Larrivee starts behind with the ball. Possession changes on a ward, and Panc will clear it to Bates. Director will go to work up top, then hits Goldstein for Issy's first shot. Bates moves it around to Frye who looks for room, passes to Goldstein on a give and go as Frye beats his long stick for a shot and score at 9:35, and Issy leads 1-0.
Bellevue wins the face again, and settles into offense. A pass out of bounds gives Issy the clear, and Frye will start the motion off again. Frye shoots off the dodge, and the pipe saves it for Bellevue, Issy maintains possession. Frye tries a drive from behind, and scores over Linton's should at 7:51.
Issaquah wins the face, and settles into offense, but can't hold on to possession on a shot. Bellevue's Medwell clears it and rips one wide. The Wolverines turn it over on possession, without much offense, and Issaquah has possession. Director moves the ball down the lane, Bates finds a cutting Frye and finishes for the third with 3:11 left in the first quarter. Bellevue calls a time out, and makes some adjustments. Willie Gervais strips Frye, and Issy will be on defense as Bellevue fires a few shots before turning over on back up. Issy takes it down to settle, and holds the ball. On a ward, the Eagles will turn over to Bellevue with 30 seconds left, and the clock will expire before Bellevue can get a shot off. At the end of one, Issaquah leads 3-0.
Issaquah will start with the ball, and settle into offense. The Eagles move the ball around as Bates fires a sidearm canon that bounces past Linton for number four. Issaquah threatens again off the face, as Director takes the face and goes to the rack on a big shot up field as Linton just misses the bounce at his feet. Issaquah has five unanswered goals at 9:35 in the third.
Bellevue gets this face, and pushes the ball down to Cole Nordstrom who starts to draw a slide as he feeds big brother Drew up top. Drew shoots a worm burner past Bresslin, and Bellevue is on the board at just a little over 8 minutes.
Issaquah will start with possession from the face, but turns it over on a failed pass. Bellevue's clear is picked off by Jones, but he is caught from behind before he can shoot. Bellevue will have another opportunity, but fails to clear. Issaquah gives Bellevue a man-up opportunity, but Panc steals the ball. Issy goes offsides, and with this possession, Bellevue's Platt pulls a trigger for his first and Bellevue's second at 2:33. Issaquah has to call a time out, and momentum may have shifted to Bellevue. The wolverines win the next face, and Medwell settles things down Cole Nordstrom gets the ball and finds an open Blumer on the crease as he jams one past Bresslin for number three. Bellevue wins the next face, and Bellevue gets some hot ball movement as Blumer dodges and finishes with under two minutes cutting the Issy lead to one.
Bellevue take the face, and works hard inside for a shot. Dodging on solid defense, Bellevue will call a time out with 7 seconds in the half, but Bellevue cannot get a shot off again. Bellevue woke up in the second. At halftime, Issaquah leads by one 5-4. The ground ball war has been even with 15 for Bellevue, and 16 for Issaquah. Issaquah has 11 shots to Bellevue's 7. An incredibly low number for the Caliber of game.
Bellevue comes right out shooting. Nordstrom hits Mutzel who dances, dodges and rolls back as his shot touches Bresslin before going in to tie the game up at 10:59. Bellevue will win the next face, but will not be able to find another before the save turns to Issy transition. Bates finds Goldstein as he falls down firing and sneaks a big one past Linton at 9:30. Issaquah leads 6-5. Bellevue will have another possession, but can't do anything. Issy trades possesion, and a hard ride of Issy's Panc will give them man-up as they fail to advance the ball. Bellevue will be man-down at 7:30. Bellevue makes a save, but Linton is in trouble and gets doubled. He draws a slash, and evens the box up as Bellevue sends it out of bounds. Issy will clear as the ball. Bellevue recovers the ball, releases their penalty and goes man-up. Kyle Mutzel hits big Brother Chris for a quick release shot on the crease, and a tying goal at 6:15.
Bellevue gets a possession and moves the ball around to Platt who takes an outside howitzer shot Bresslin couldn't track to go ahead, 7-6 Bellevue at 5 minutes.
Bellevue makes a big save as Linton stops a doorstep shot, and at 2:04 will try to clear the ball. Issaquah recovers a bad pass, and Issy will take run. They fail to produce, and it looks like Issaquah will struggle to ride as Bellevue will clear it and call a time out with 26 seconds in the third quarter. Medwell starts low in the corner and sweeps up top finding Mutzel on the crease, and he buries it in the cage with seven seconds. Bellevue ends the third leading 8-6.
Issaquah stops Bellevue's offense this possession, now that they have started firing, and will clear the ball. Goldstein sneaks a bouncer unassisted at 10:06 from the near side.
Bellevue answers right back with a break off the face, Zeir hits Cole Nordstrom who takes his time to freeze the goalie before scoring number nine, and regaining momentum. They win the face again, and threaten before a Strong stand by Issy as they begin to possess. Bellevue's defense stands strong, as they clear it the other way. Turning it over, Issaquah starts a transition ending with a one on one with the keeper as Henderson goes just wide. Bellevue will steal a ball up top, and go the other way working hard to maintain the lead. With 3:37 in the fourth, Bellevue will have possession. They kill 47 seconds before they turn the ball over. Bellevue rides hard and forces a bad pass and now Bellevue will have to possess to win. Getting down to 1:46, Issaquah benefits from a ward as Frye will try to clear and create something. His clear is turned back, and again, Bellevue will try to hold on for a minute thirty. There is a loose ball, and Frye sends it the other way. A shot by Director winds up in Linton's stick as he just sends it down to his offense. They wind up holding onto the ball to finish the quarter in a great comeback victory 9-7 Bellevue
Frye led Issaquah with three goals, Goldstein had two. Bellevue had 8 scorers, leading the way was Blumer with three, Mutzel with two and Platt with two. According to coach Baumann," this was a character win. I am proud of my guys for weathering that first quarter."
