COMMERCE CITY, Colorado— It wasn’t the outcome the team hoped for. Colorado State and Simon Fraser were neck and neck the entire game, but it was a quick break away by the Clansmen that scored them the winning goal in overtime.
“This was one of the most entertaining lacrosse games we were in all year,” Head Coach Alex Smith said. “Both teams really played well and unfortunately we were just on the wrong end of the game.”
The Rams controlled the game overall, the offense and defense both making remarkable plays. “I was extremely proud of our guys for not giving up and fighting all the way through to the end. Honestly, I believed we were going to win until I saw that ball hit the net for them,” Smith said.
The offense made several goal scoring plays that made the fans go wild, including a setup where long stick midfielder Tyler Zabor scored and the goal that tied the game in the last minutes of the game by Cooper Kehoe.
The defense, faced with Simons Frasers notoriously skilled offensive players disrupted many plays and regained possession of the ball, and goalie Alex Jacques had some notable saves.
When the game clock ran out, the scores were tied at 11. But a quick break away by Simon Fraser ended the Rams season prematurely.
“On that last face-off, we won the draw and pulled it out exactly how we wanted, but the angle was just a little off and we just couldn’t quite get it. Had the ball bounced just a little differently, maybe we would be the ones celebrating, but it just wasn’t meant to be,” Smith said.
But the Rams ended with a regular season record of 16-1 and an overall season record of 17-3, which is something they can all be proud of. Looking back on the season, Smith was pleased.
“This team was one of my favorites in all of my years here at CSU. We came together as a family so well and we all trusted the process for us to get better and get where we are. Looking back on the year, 17-3 is a pretty solid campaign and even though we didn’t achieve our ultimate goal, we have a lot to be proud of and we should hold our heads high going into the off-season.” Rams Drop Quarterfinal Heartbreaker to Simon Fraser