Scott Kretzmann
ASC Sports
Information Director
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Behind a 7-goal second period that was paced by junior Kevin Bertrand (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) and freshman Josh Peterman (Santa Ana, Calif.), the Grizzly men’s lacrosse took a 10-5 halftime and held on despite a furious comeback attempt from Western Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (WILA) Dominican (Calif.) to conclude their 3-game swing in California.
Adams State evens its season record at 3-3 overall and improves to 2-1 in the WILA with their second straight league victory. The Penguins, who entered the day atop the league standings, falls to 3-4 this season with a 2-1 conference record.
After scoring seven in the second quarter, the Grizzlies possessed the momentum out of halftime and extended their lead to 12-5 when Bertrand scored his third of the game, a man-up goal, less than two minutes into the half.
Dominican then began its comeback bid, scoring three straight to close out the third quarter and again just 32 seconds into the fourth to pull within three, 9-12.
Photo Courtesy of ASC Sports Information Desk: Anthony Damico recorded 5 goals on March 15
The Penguins Dalton Copeland led the charge, tallying all of his four points and three goals in the second half. His second goal of the game started the fourth, and his final with 4:30 to play made the score 11-13.
Adams State was only able to get off 16 shots in the second half after firing off 26 in the first, but sophomore Anthony Willner (Littleton, Colo.) made good on of his three attempts in the game to score his second goal with 3:50 on the clock, the eventual game-winner.
Only 17 seconds separated the final two Penguin goals of the game, coming with 2:36 and 2:17 left in the contest respectively, to bring them within one. But Dominican’s final shot of the game bounced off the post with under two minutes to play, and the Grizzly defense held fast to secure the victory.
Each the Grizzlies and Penguins went on 3-0 scoring runs in the first quarter of the contest. Reed Upson put Dominican up 1-0 after nearly five minutes had ticked off the clock, but goals from freshman Parker Smith (Centennial, Colo.), Willner and Peterman had ASC on top, 3-1, with 5:09 left in the quarter.
The second started with ASC trailing 4-3, but less than a minute passed before Peterman’s second strike tied it up.
Sophomore Bryden Pelletier (Lantzville, B.C., Canada) scored his first of two in the game to give ASC its first lead, and sophomore Jordan Stillwagon (Littleton, Colo.), Peterman and freshman Omar Horani (Tigard, Ore.) would each find the net before Jake Fritz scored the Penguins’ lone goal of the quarter.
Bertrand scored a pair of goals in the final three minutes of the half to put ASC up 10-5 at intermission.
Willner added a team-best four groundballs in the game, and was 14-of-24 in face offs Sunday.
Redshirt-freshman Ronnie Fernando (Lake Forest, Calif.) earned his third win of the season in the net for Adams State, making 10 saves along the way.
The Grizzlies will return to the ASC Lacrosse Field for a 3-game home stand, their longest of the season, beginning this coming Friday, March 23, for their second match-up of the season against WILA foe Notre Dame de Namur.
ASC topped the Argos by a 13-7 tally on Thursday in Belmont, Calif.
Action between Adams State and NDNU is slated for a 3 p.m. start.
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