CHILLY CHAMPS
Kent Denver’s Brandon Bergner, left, collides with Cherry Creek’s Cooper Wineski in snowy conditions during Cherry Creek’s 12-7 victory in the Class 5A lacrosse championship game Monday night at the All-City Stadium in Denver. Earlier Monday, Golden’s Joe Brock celebrates his game-winner against Cheyenne Mountain during sudden death overtime of Golden’s 10-9 victory in the Class 4A championship game.
Heavy precipitation was an understatement. A steady light rain led to a full-on rainstorm, and when the second half began Monday night, the entire field at was the same color as the white ball, and players were drenched.
It was a Class 5A state lacrosse championship game to remember for the Cherry Creek Bruins, who appeared to handle the May snowstorm better than the Kent Denver Sun Devils in front of a frigid crowd at All-City Stadium.
After a 5-5 tie at halftime, the Bruins dominated as the conditions continued to worsen, and they strutted off with a 12-7 victory for their seventh state title and third in the last five years. A yellow game ball was introduced early in the second half — a stretch in which Cherry Creek outscored Kent Denver 7-2.
“It’s the same for both teams. I think our guys just really enjoyed being out here and getting after it in this weather,” Cherry Creek coach Matt Bocklet said. “It seemed to actually loosen us up in the second half, when we played with more energy. Who expects snow like this on May 20? I’ve certainly never played in a blizzard. Testament to CHSAA for making sure that they were shoveling the lines and making sure we could get the game in.”
Senior Connor Terrell had four goals for the Bruins, and juniors Dante Orlando and Aiden Burke each had three. Cherry Creek senior goalie Chandler Nayman outperformed the Sun Devils’ tandem of Benjamin Shapiro (first half) and Henry Caulkins (second).
“We came out really confident. It was 5-5 at half, but we knew the whole game we would come out strong in the second half,” Terrell said. “Whole year we’ve been a second-half team. That’s how we do it.”
Footwork wasn’t a problem on a drenched field in the first half. But as the snow intensified, the game slowed down.
“It was getting tough. It was sticking to the cleats,” Terrell said. “But they had to play with it too.”
Kent Denver dominated early and went ahead 2-0 on goals by Maxwell Hewitt and Josh Melvin. But the Bruins responded, scoring the next three goals and five of the next six. Terrell and Burke each had two apiece during that stretch.
The Bruins took a 5-3 lead with Terrell’s goal with 1:29 to play in the second quarter, but the Sun Devils struck twice in the final minute (Payton Lester and Hewitt).
Cherry Creek finished 17-2, avenging its 9-8 overtime loss to Kent Denver in the regular-season finale. The Sun Devils ended 15-4.