Bellevue takes 3rd at San Diego Invite
For the second straight year, the Bellevue Wolverines took third place at the 40-team San Diego Open. The Wolverines went 4-1, with its lone loss coming in the semifinals against a team it had previously beaten in bracket play. The third place finish tied the 2013 squad for the best result in program history at the San Diego Open.
By virtue of its strong placement last season, Bellevue was seeded in an 8-team bracket with the top 8 finishers from 2013, giving the Wolverines an automatic spot in the top 16.
Bellevue 13 , Westview 10
Bellevue’s first opponent was Westview High School from the Torrey Highlands, a suburb of San Diego. Behind six goals and four ejections drawn from senior co-captain Marco Stanchi, the Wolverines won 13-10. Senior Daniel Sandler added three goals in the win.
Bellevue 10, Grossmont 9
With the top overall seed heading into the tournament’s knockout stage on the line, the Wolverines defeated Grossmont High School 10-9 on Thursday night in an exciting, well-played game. The Wolverines built a 4-2 first quarter lead and managed to hang on in the physical affair. Stanchi again led the offensive attack, scoring four goals and drawing two ejections. Sophomore Cameron Hayes added a pair of goals, while junior Zack Rossman had four steals to lead the defense.
Bellevue 14, Mar Vista 8
In its one and only game on Friday evening, the Wolverines defeated Mar Vista 14-8 to advance to the quarterfinals. Hayes and Rossman posted four goals each, while Stanchi contributed six ejections drawn to go along with three goals. Stanchi also posted a season-high eight steals, just one shy of the BHS school record. Senior Josh Rehder added three goals in the high scoring affair.
Bellevue 12, Uni City 11
In the quarterfinal matchup, the Wolverines squared off against University City High School. For the first time in the tournament, the Wolverines faced a deficit, entering halftime trailing by a score of 3-4. Despite scoring four third quarter goals, the defense could not contain Uni City, resulting in a 7-8 deficit heading into the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Wolverine offense came alive. Five Wolverine goals later, Bellevue pulled out a 12-11 victory. Stanchi dominated the offensive end of the pool, earning a school record eight ejections drawn. Hayes led all scorers with five goals, while Rossman added two. Senior co-captain Liam Naughton led the defense with five steals and two blocked shots.
Bellevue 9, Grossmont 13
After a one-game break following its contest against Uni City, the Wolverines found themselves facing a familiar foe — Grossmont — with a trip to the championship game on the line. The teams traded first quarter goals, ending the period tied at 2-2. However, the Wolverines were unable to slow Grossmont in the second quarter and fell behind 6-3 at the half. The Wolverines tried to mount a comeback, but was unable to close the gap. Senior goalie Quinlan Hughes had five saves in the loss. Hayes led the offense with three goals while Rossman had a team-high four assists. Naughton again led the defense with four steals.
