Bellevue falls to MI, 10-6
In the highly anticipated rematch of the state’s top ranked teams, the Bellevue Wolverines fell to #2 Mercer Island Islanders 10-6 in Wednesday evening at Mercer Island Country Club.
It took a mere twelve seconds for Mercer Island to take the lead when sophomore Anthony Pedreira scored out of two meters. Bellevue sophomore Liam Naughton evened the game halfway through the first period with an outside lob shot. But Mercer Island sophomore Topher Lacrampe scored the next two goals to help Mercer Island build a 3-1 lead at the end of the first quarter. The teams traded second quarter goals to enter halftime at 5-3.
The second half was marred by missed opportunities and miscues, as the Wolverines were unable to take advantage of several golden opportunities to close the deficit. A five-meter penalty shot sailed two feet over the cage; a shot skipped four feet over the cage on a 6-on-4 advantage; a lob shot on an open goal came up two feet short. Meanwhile, the Islanders used their superior depth to extend their lead.
Marco Stanchi led the Wolverines with one goal, two assists, two ejections drawn and four steals. Junior George French had three goals, while freshman Zack Rossman had one goal on a man-up advantage.
The loss snapped the Wolverines’ 20 game winning streak to in-state opponents dating back to October 10, 2011. Bellevue (14-3) travels to San Diego for the San Diego Invitational on Thursday.
