MERCER ISLAND, WA - The final game of the Northwest Invitational at the Islander Middle School site pinned the Jesuit-Portland Crusaders (OR) against the Palo Verde Panthers (NV) on a perfect afternoon for lacrosse. Coach Joe Corbitt’s Crusaders came in as the team to beat, taking down Coronado (NV) on Friday night, 16-6, and Skyline (WA) on Saturday, 13-10. The Panthers, coached by Gary Campo, looked to bounce back after back-to-back 10-11 losses, first to Lincoln (OR) on Friday, then to Hellgate (MT) on Saturday.

Face-off athlete Eli Rajotte owned his role from his first draw to his last, winning an impressive amount of possessions for the Crusaders and a runaway goal in the first quarter. Scoring came early and often for Jesuit, starting with attackman Andrew Krantz kicking things off. Possession time heavily favored the Crusaders, but Palo Verde’s Tyler Marsh found a way to register the only goal of the first quarter for the Panthers. Sam Handley would work to find the back of the net for Jesuit, closing the quarter with a 3-1 lead.

Defenseman Joe Soisson kicked off the Oregon group's second quarter scoring run before Sam Handley would bury his second to the game. Andrew Krantz followed suit by knocking down consecutive goals to secure a first half hat trick. Brandon Paige got on the board for the Panthers, matched by Tyler Marsh's second goal of the game. Long-stick midfielder Eric Restic would be the last Crusader to score before the half would close with Jesuit ahead, 8-3.

Jesuit didn’t bother to adjust their game plan in the second half, continuing to play as one of the most impressive teams of the entire event. Right after Andrew Krantz scored his 4th goal, Sam Handley stepped up with a hat trick of his own. Midfielders Tucker Dordevic, Jack Block and Derek Echevarria would all contribute to the effort for the Crusaders in third quarter. Palo Verde would only find success once against the stellar defense, backed by excellent goaltending, with a lone shot from Steve Creighton. Jesuit would keep the momentum heading into the final frame with a 13-4 lead.

Not going down without a fight, Brandon Paige would ring up one last goal for the Panthers. For Jesuit, Jackson Hering scored first before Andrew Krantz would find his fifth goal. Extending their lead to a safe but sure distance, Jon Edwards would tally the last two points for the Crusaders, finalizing a score of 17-5 before they would run out the clock’s final moments.

The win polished off the event for both out-of-town programs. The Jesuit boys would enjoy their short trip back to Portland, leaving town with a clean 3-0 record. The Crusaders will look to continue to improve on their 5-1 season when they host Oregon’s Central Catholic on Saturday. With the loss, Palo Verde fell to 0-3 over the weekend, rounding their overall record out to 7-7. With trips to Arizona and Idaho already behind them, the Panthers will get a very short break for a home game, hosting Nevada-rival Faith Lutheran on Thursday night before heading off to Utah for a pair of games next weekend. By Mark Donahue