A Viking Bellevue Battle for Blood, The Dean of Curtis Dominates

Divisional Playoffs between the fourth and fifth seeded Curtis Vikings, and Bellevue wolverines, the most electric match-up of this round.  Curtis stole Bellevue's dreams two years ago, at their house, and dashed their fourth place seed with a lost this year at Curtis.  Bellevue has wanted the opportunity to exact revenge ever since, and this season has weighted on their shoulders as well.  Conversely, Curtis weilds possbily the most potent weapon in Landon Carr.  When he is on, he can dominate a game.  Who steps up in big games, will decide the outcome tonight.

Cole Norstrom strikes first at 3:36, after isolating Carr up top, and dodging down the alley sniping the top right corner. 
Yergler answers back with a goal at 3:04 from the ensuing face-off.  The shot coming from the crease dribbles past Bellevue's keeper.  After stopping Curtis' clear, Bellevue once again possesses for a minute before Brett Mannella finds Brennen for his first and Bellevues second at 1:52, now leading 2-1.  Bellevue threatens for the remainder of the first quarter, sending a shot at time expiring.  Bellevue stopped two shots, to the 4 saves on the Viking end, the score 2-1 Bellevue.

Quinn Moody and Colby Carr connect on a clear that got behind Bellevue's defense, and bounces past Bellevue's keeper to tie it up at just over 10 minutes into the second quarter.  One thing is clear, this is a game, and there is no love lost between these two.  Curtis has disrupted the Bellevue clear and now it is Bellevue's turn.  Each team struggling to clear, and to maintain possession as the physicality escalates, and the intensity as well.  With 3:33 remaining, Taylor Dean backs in from his attack position, and turns inside to pop one in from 5 yards.  Bellevue is really struggling to play team defense extended while shutting off Carr.  At the same time, Curtis is challenged with their match-ups on Cole Nordstrom.  Making adjustments to handle the wing attack, Bellevue hits pipe. Nordstrom goes back to the well, after a scramble and broken set, to find net top right again, tying the game at 3 with 2:15 remaining.  At 41 seconds remaining, Nordstrom's assist to Zervas and Bellevue scores their second unanswered with 44 seconds remaining.  Curtis winning at the face-off X gives them anther opportunity with 16 seconds, as Blaisdell hits Yergler for his second, and the tie goal going into halftime.  Curtis had three failed clears made up for with 3 gained possessions from endline chasing.  Each team had three saves in the even quarter, the level of play a mirror on both sides of the ball.

Landon Carr comes out of the gate firing in the opening seconds of the second half.  Curtis wins the face, and Carr fires another twinefinder, going ahead, 5-4 just 18 seconds into the quarter.  Bellevue breaks a clear and at 9:47, scores on a feed from Tom Zervas to Nordstrom tying it up at 5 again.  Shortly after, Taylor Dean has a deja vu goal scoring again from inside roll to shot, Curtis now leads at 9 minutes.  Bellevue wins the next face-off, and Brett Mannella gets one of his own, scoring at 8 minutes.  During a box sub, Curtis leaves the ball alone in Nordstrom's hands.  He steps in and shoots a laser past Homeyer, to go ahead 7-6.  After trading possessions for the next 5 minutes, Curtis takes advantage of the lock-off on Carr, as Taylor Dean takes it inside as he has twice before, and pumps in the tying goal with just 3 seconds left on the clock.  At the end of three, Curtis and Bellevue's horns are locked in battle.  Curtis' Homeyer with 5 saves on the quarter, and Bellevue's Pregent with 6 saves.

The fourth quarter in this epic conflict is mixed possessions, isolations, and transition struggles.  That is, until Taylor Dean rips off more real estate at 7:29 on a right hand solo dodge to go ahead 8-7.  Bellevue has lost each of their possessions in the fourth, and Homeyer has taken back 5 possessions on shot back-up for Curtis, out of the cage.  With 4:28, Curtis calls a time out to contain the game, until Tylor Dean scores his 5th goal of the game, beating his man and not drawing any slide and dunking on the crease, for what could be the defining score of the game.  Bellevue attempts for the last two minutes, but the Cole Nordstrom Show simply could not finish the game.  Curtis made 5 saves in the final period, preventing Bellevue from adding any points in the fourth quarter, their last score coming at 7:35 in the third quarter.  Curtis will face Mercer Island next week for the right to go to the state championship.  Bellevue ha a great season.

 Players of the Game

Taylor Dean 5g Curtis
Cole Nordstrom 3g1a Bellevue
Homeyer G Curtis 18 saves

See all the pics from last night's game at SoundLacrosse!