(Photo: Jodi Vosika/ASU Lacrosse)
The Arizona State lacrosse team was perfect — up until the very final game they played this season.
After allowing seven goals in the third quarter, the top-seeded Sun Devils were unable to muster up a comeback as they fell to the Colorado Buffaloes 13-12 in the MCLA Championship game.
Down five goals in the final five minutes of play, attackman Justin Straker’s two goals and three assists ignited a Sun Devil comeback that brought the team to within two goals with three minutes to play.
Attackman Dan Davis, who finished with five goals, buried another goal in transition with 16 seconds left on the clock to make it a 13-12 game in favor of Colorado.
On the following face-off, Sun Devil face off specialist Courtland Jones was able to pick up the ball, but Colorado was given possession and ran out the remaining seconds on the clock to come out victorious.
“We were 10-man riding,” ASU head coach Chris Malone said. “We were going to goal right away. We had great ball movement, and we were getting open looks. Guys started burying their shots, and we just ran out of time.”
In both of the teams’ meetings this season (ASU won the first match up 8-6), the score was tied at five at the half.
“Personally, I thought we were in a really good spot where we were, considering we gave up two goals early in the first quarter that we would probably love to have back,” Malone said.
Attackman Riley Seidel finished the game with four goals and one assist for Colorado. He led the Buffaloes on a 3-0 run early in the third quarter as he bolted across the goal-line-extended creating two goals from tough angles.
Midfielder Logan Quinn tried to stop the blazing CU offense by feeding attackman Landon Gagner and Straker for a pair of goals, but Colorado stayed a step ahead of the ASU defense and finished the quarter ahead 12-8.
“You know, Seidel and [attackman Jack Cranston], that’s a tough duo,” Malone said. “Our guys defensively gave everything they had. I mean, our guys can’t move right now.”
In the close loss, the Sun Devils excelled in the face-off circle even without the injured Zack Handy.
Both teams’ number one face-off specialists were injured during the tournament, but in freshman Courtland Jones’s first full game, he won 23-29 face-offs for ASU.
“He stepped up like a man,” Malone said.
The Championship game marks the last game for Malone as head coach, as well as the nine seniors on the team.
