Mar. 17th, 2004 - No. 14 Cal Poly takes No. 7 Minnesota-Duluth by four
Special to USLIA.com
San Luis Obispo, CA – After their Saturday victory against the California Bears in Berkeley, the visiting Minnesota – Duluth Bulldogs had a few days to get used to the warm California weather and prepare for their Tuesday night match up against Cal Poly. Under clear skies and perfect conditions, the #7 Bulldogs and #14 Mustangs squared off on the Cal Poly Sports Complex in their first ever meeting. If either team was nervous before the opening whistle, they didn't show it. Regardless, this game had enough subplots to make both coaching staffs a little apprehensive.
The Bulldogs came into the game with perfect 3-0 record, but were matched up against their first ranked MDIA opponent of '04. Furthermore, this was the first game of the season on real grass for UMD, not to mention the typical distractions of Spring Break in sunny, coastal California. Meanwhile, the Mustangs had to overcome an entirely different type of distraction, as they were playing a Tuesday evening game in the middle of finals week. Additionally, Tom Alderman, the Mustangs' WCLL All-Star long-stick midfielder, was scratched just prior to game time with a foot injury. The Mustangs would have to contend with the Bulldogs' All-American midfielder Ben Uzlik (Bloomington Jefferson, MN) without one of their key defenders. This one game after Uzlik pumped in 4 goals against the Cal Bears in Berkeley. Despite the distractions, both teams came ready to play and the game was a hard fought battle from the first whistle to the last.
Mustang freshman Reza Kazemini (Carillo HS, CA), won the game's opening draw and Cal Poly settled into their first offensive possession. Another Mustang freshmen, Grant Schubert (La Costa Canyon HS, CA), scored less than a minute and half into the game on an unassisted drive to the cage. A few minutes later Duluth would knot the game at one, when junior midfielder Dan O'Donnell (South Saint Paul, MN) found attackman Jon Champ (Edina, MN) all alone above the crease, and Champ fired one over the shoulder of Mustang goaltender Ryan Parr (La Costa Canyon HS, CA).
For the rest of the first quarter, Cal Poly dominated possession time and their fast moving attack had the Duluth defensemen on their heels. However, Duluth's senior goaltender, Sam Litman (Duluth East, MN), proved a formidable last line of defense, turning away numerous point blank shots from the Mustang attack. On a solo drive from the wing, freshman attackman Kenny Williams (Torrey Pines HS, CA) fired in the only other Mustang goal of the quarter to give Cal Poly a one goal advantage (2-1) after the first quarter.
After the Mustangs controlled the ball for much of the first quarter, Duluth would turn the tables in the second, running their offense patiently out of a 1-4-1 formation. The Bulldogs worked hard to get favorable match-ups against the Mustang's short-stick defenders, but the athletic Mustangs held tough with sophomore Andrew Mahlow (Calvary Chapel HS, CA) and freshmen Davis Reilly (Jesuit HS, CA) and Stuart Vik (Pike HS, IN) all playing textbook position defense.
Duluth then turned to Ben Uzlik. The talented midfielder tried to initiate scoring opportunities driving from the top of the box. However, sophomore long-stick midfielders Ari Elden (La Jolla HS, CA) and Andrew Hoerner (La Costa Canyon HS, CA) proved they were up to the challenge playing for the injured Alderman, as they combined to hold Uzlik scoreless on the night. Finally, with just over five minutes remaining in the half, Duluth captain Matt Reeves (Mankato East, MN) drove hard from the wing, tiptoed the crease, and squeezed a shot into the corner of the net to tie the game at two, breaking the Bulldogs long, 20 minute scoring drought. In the closing minutes of the 2nd quarter prior to halftime, Jon Champ broke loose again on the crease and attackman Bud Alcorn (Rochester Mayo, MN) found him with the feed, as Duluth took a 3-2 lead into the break.
For the Cal Poly Mustangs, the next thirty minutes would be an opportunity to define their season. In their five victories so far this year, the Mustangs had never trailed going into the second half. Meanwhile in their three losses to ranked opponents, Cal Poly had been unable to find a way to win the close, hard-fought contests.
The Mustangs would be forced to show some grit and determination, especially after Duluth took a 4-2 lead just two minutes into the second half. The Bulldogs' goal came on a fast break opportunity, as Mustang keeper Ryan Parr made an excellent save but the ball ricocheted off his body and landed in front of the crease. Before the Mustang defense could scoop up the ball, Bulldog midfielder Tom Lauria (Mahtomedi, MN) came flying out of nowhere dove on the ground and slapped the loose ball into the net.
Lauria's goal would ultimately prove to be the last Duluth goal on the night, as the Mustang defense tightened up and collapsed on the Bulldogs' crease feeding offense, holding them scoreless for the final twenty-eight minutes of the contest.
While the Mustangs' defense picked up their intensity and resolve, the Cal Poly offense started to find some openings and were able to get a few past keeper Sam Litman, who had another impressive half in the cage. Kenny Williams, starting to find his rhythm half way through his inaugural season, corralled a feed from fellow attackman Tim Casey (La Costa Canyon HS, CA) and put in a fast break goal with 9:36 remaining in the third. The two would connect again minutes later, as Casey threaded a pass to Williams on the crease. Williams redirected the ball into the upper corner of the cage to tie the game at 4 apiece.
With the help of Kazemini's impressive performance at the face-off X, the Mustang's seized the momentum and scored two more goals in the next minute and a half, one on a drive from Williams and another from senior midfielder Conor LeClair (University HS, CA). With four minutes remaining in the 3rd, Cal Poly had took control of the game and held a 6-4 advantage.
As time expired in the quarter, Andrew Mahlow kept the Cal Poly fans and their bench fired up with a crushing slide on an unsuspecting Bulldog midfielder. The 150 diehard fans, taking time out of studying for finals, went wild and the Mustangs rode the wave of momentum to their biggest victory of the season. Cal Poly controlled the ball for much of the fourth, and found the back of the net on back to back goals - Tim Casey off a feed from Grant Schubert and Conor LeClair on a feed from Casey.
With the victory, Cal Poly improves to 6 – 3 on the season. Minnesota-Duluth suffers their first loss of the season and sees their record fall to 3 – 1. The Mustangs will head to the Lone Star State next weekend to take on No. 18 Texas A&M; and Texas while the Bulldogs head back to the Upper Midwest Lacrosse League for conference games in Ames, Iowa in two weekends against Iowa State and #25 Minnesota.
Goals by Quarters:
CP: 2 – 0 – 4 – 2 = 8
UMD: 1 – 2 – 1 – 0 = 4
Goals:
CP: Williams (4), LeClair (2), Shubert, Casey
UMD: Champ (2), Reeves, Lauria
Assists:
CP: Casey (3), Schubert
UMD: O'Donnel, Alcorn
Saves:
CP: Parr, 8 saves 4 goals against
UMD: Litman, 14 saves, 8 goals against
Penalties:
CP: 5 for 3:00
UMD: 5 for 4:00
EMO:
CP: 0/5
UMD: 0/5