Prep lacrosse

ousted a second straight playoff opponent more or less by halftime, beating No. 10 Telluride 19-4.

Saturday, they’ll face the winner of No. 3 Dakota Ridge-no. 6 Northfield in the semifinals at the Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium at the University of Denver.

The Tigers beat the Eagles, 12-4, in March and have never faced Northfield in either team’s five years as a varsity program.

“We know we need to execute better under pressure in that moment,” Mandia said of the upcoming semis. “And the pressure is real. It feels bigger. It absolutely does.”

Against the Miners, Charlie O’brien scored the eighth goal of his 2023 postseason and the 18th of his playoff career, netting all four of them before halftime as the Tigers built a 13-2 lead into the break.

Burns added three goals and notched his sixth assist in two playoff games and Liam Connors had another two goals for six in this postseason and 16 in his playoff career.

Among the prettiest ones, Connors wafted in front of the net in the early minutes, faking out keeper Max Reeder with a pump-fake at the near post, before taking a few more steps to hit a wide-open net.

Sandwiched between it was O’brien’s first of the game, a 10-yard strike that went over Reeder’s right shoulder. Then it was Burns’ first, an awkward-angle shot from 10 yards to the left, drilling the opposite side of the net.

All three of them, along with most of Erie’s starters, went to the bench in the fourth quarter with an 18-2 lead and a running clock in hand for a second straight game.

The Tigers (14-3) had beaten No. 15 Green Mountain

15-1 in the second round after having a first-round bye.

“I think for me it’s been like playing with a chip on my shoulder,” O’brien said of the last season. “Wanting to get to the semis, wanting to get past the semis and beat (possibly No. 1) Cheyenne (Mountain) in the finals.”

The Red-tailed Hawks hosted No. 8 Air Academy later Tuesday night.