Division II State Championship: Quick Striking Owls Crucify Crusaders 17-11

In the first final match-up of the evening, the Division II boy’s feature the Cascade conference’s Eastside Catholic Crusaders and Evergreen conference’s Overlake Owls.  It is a game of firsts for both teams- it is the first time these two teams have reached the title game and the first time they have faced each other this season.  It is also the first time that two preparatory schools have faced each other for a title game.  Eastside Catholic is looking for a title in their second year as a program, capping off an undefeated season. 

They are lead by leading scorer senior middie David Carlton, as well as All-state honorable mention rising sophomore Mike Rambaldini. On the defensive end their all-conference long poles Nick Pizzitola and Robert Pfluger.  The Overlake Owls are lead by lead scorer attackman David Dolack.  They are supported by All-State selections- midfielder Sky Tweedle-Yates and goalie Chap Grubb.  These talented teams will battle for the title and should be a great game. The fans of both schools pepper the stands with Eastside orange and Overlake green.  It is electric with raucous fans and spectators getting into the game from the start.

1st Quarter
The Owls come out firing getting a quick goal from Sky Tweedle-Yates from a dodge on the wing.  Off the next face-off, Tweedle-Yates gets feed from X and scores again.  The Crusaders need to step up defense quickly to avoid a early lead by the Owls.  Overlake keeper Chap Grubbb makes a save on a shot.  It trickles out of his stick and it is Kyle Decker who picks up the garbage and tosses it into the back of the net.  It came amid controversy by the keeper and Crusader defense, however the refs count it.  The Owls answer that back with a fast break goal from Devon Schmidt assisted by Socut Tweedle-Yates.  Overlake keeps coming clearing the ball exceptionally well and making great takewaways from the Crusader offense.  Overlake gets another goal from George Dolack with the assist coming from Devon Schmidt.  Eastside Catholic is able to gather their team after a time out call.  They need to start playing smart lacrosse and get quality possessions.  It comes with a hard ride as Owl goalie Chap Grubb is stripped at the 40 yard line and David Carlton gets a wide open feed on an empty cage.  With 3 minutes left the score is 4-2 Owls.

Overlake takes their next possession to run down the clock.  The set up in their open set and Joe Dolack takes it in himself from the wing on a corkscrew shot for the 5th goal. The Owls get an EMO on a Crusader push.  However, they throw away their man-up and turn it over to Eastside Catholic.  On the ensuing clear Crusader goalie takes it coast to coast and takes a shot on Grubb who makes the save. 
The ball heads the other way creating a fast break where Sky Tweedle-Yates hits Schmidt on the back doorstep for the 6th Owl goal.  The quarter ends- score 6-2 Owls.

2nd Quarter
From the face-off Seth Ivanoff pushes the ball forward creating a fast break and hits George Dolack who spins to take a shot and is stuffed by the O’Neill Hughes.  The ball goes the Crusaders way.  They get some time with the ball until Kyle Decker comes off a screen and buries lefty pass Hughes.

Off the face-off, George Dolack gets the ball out off a scrum and sinks it in.  Overlake decides to slow the game down and runs their infamous open set.  Body checks start coming as the game gets more intense.  The go to man David Carlton gets a shot off and it is saved by Grubb underneath his foot.
Overlake is running their open set perfectly, they are taking shots and rebounding missed ones to give them second opportunities.  Hughes took 3 shots in less than 15 seconds.  In an unsettled play near the sideline Sky hits Schmidt for another doorstep goal with 7 minutes to play.
The clearing and riding transition game is killing the Crusaders.  The Crusaders draw a slashing penalty; Overlake works it around in a 2-3 set and take a shot, which is blacked by Hughes. Eastside gets a good possession and David Carlton rips shot up top from a Decker feed making the score 8-4 Overlake.  Eastside needs to stay out the penalty box; they seem to be drawing all the yellow laundry perhaps in frustration.

Overlake is dominating possession time.  The Tweedle-Yates connection happens when Sky feeds brother Scout for a quick shot and goal picking the top right.  Eastside Catholic finally wins a face-off and they waste no time to catch up.  Pushing the tempo, Decker cuts across with the ball and rips a lefty cross body shot for the score.  The Crusaders start the face-off with an EMO.  Decker takes the initiative pushes and feeds Max Saffle for a crease goal.  Eastside has got some fire underneath their team and peppers Grubbb with shots.  David Carlton gets a time and room and fires it making the score 9-7 with 30 seconds left in the half.  Eastside gets the ball immediately off the face-off and in unsettled and Bryce Remington gets the ball and is immediately decked by Grubbb to make the stop.  Time runs out.

Halftime:9-7 Overlake

Halftime Notes:Eastside was caught sleeping in the first quarter, but managed to catch up during the second half with some great play by Kyle Decker.  The Crusaders need to clean up the team defense and transition game to pull ahead for the win.  The Tweedle-Yates brothers are the story for Overlake, racking up the points and leading a quick strike Owls team to an early lead.  They need to maintain possession to prevent a Crusading comeback.

3rd Quarter
Form the opening whistle Sky Tweedle-Yates gets the ball on the defensive end and dodges, dips and spins his way coast to coast and banks it in.The Crusaders get some possession and run out a 1-4 and Grubb makes a save.  The ball heads the other way and in unsettled Safadago feeds Schmidt as he gets decked by the goalie, he shoots it past him for the 11th Overlake goal.  Grubbb is on fire making great saves on Crusader shots.  In another transition Overlake pushes it and hits George Dolack who pulls a textbook question mark dodge and pegs top right for the 12th Owl goal.  The shootout does not stop and Scout Tweedle-Yates hits a ripper on the pipe for another goal. 

The Crusaders look to their lead knight David Carlton who dodges and score unassisted with 3 minutes left in the quarter. That is his 5th goal tonight.  Possession is traded until on the Overlake defense end intensity boils and Overlake gets a penalty but the EMO is of to no success as time runs out.  Score is 13-8 Overlake.

4th Quarter
Eastside Catholic starts with the ball on their EMO, Andrew Carlton hits David Carlton for the goal right off the whistle.  Eastside Catholic falls into the transition game again, but their goalie Hughes is making some saves keeping them potent Owl offense from scoring.  A Crusader clear breaks now and Safadago gets the ball and hits Schmidt on the doorstep right as Hughes knocks him.  Eastside returns the goal on the next possession the Carlton connection, David to Andrew for an easy crease shot. 

The game is quickly becoming an offensive shootout and the Crusaders need to start winning possessions and avoiding the transition to maintain any hopes of coming back. 
Again, right of the face from a timeout Sky hits Dolack who fakes out the goalie for another easy doorstep goal.  Score is 15-10 Overlake with 9 minutes to go.  Eastside comes up with the ball and quickly gets the ball to Andrew Carlton who slings it to Saffle on the crease for a goal cutting the differential to 4.  Eastside Catholic makes a mental error and goes offsides on a clear, giving the ball to Sky in an unsettled play and finds his brother Scout for a goal.  Both teams have the brother connections going in the fourth quarter.  David Carlton tries taking the ball in himself on the Crusaders next possession he beats three men and takes a wide shot.  Overlake gets the ball back and calls a timeout.  Possession is traded and Eastside Catholic doesn’t recognize the urgency in their play as it winds down to 4 minutes left to play.

Under two minutes left, Overlake runs their open set, Dolack dodges from the wing and hits Schmidt across the crease for Overlake’s 17th goal, which is the final nail in the coffin for the Crusaders. Time runs out on the Crusaders' perfect season, and the Owls win their first state title in 20 years.
 
Final Score: 17-11 Overlake

Players of the Game:
Devon Schmidt- 6g, 3a Overlake
George Dolack- 4g Overlake
Sky Tweedle-Yates- 2g, 5a Overlake

David Carlton- 6g, 2a Eastside Catholic
O’Neill Hughes- for standing strong in cage, Eastside Catholic