From SGU Sports Info.
Brad Collins, Sports Information Director
DALLAS – A little more than two months ago, St. Gregory’s hadn’t played a competitive lacrosse game. On Sunday, the Cavaliers will compete for the Lone Star Alliance Division II Championship.
SGU kept its improbable inaugural season run going Saturday with a 12-7 semifinal win over Stephen F. Austin. The Cavs will face LSA North foe Oklahoma State at 11 a.m. Sunday in the title game. The winner advances to the MCLA National Tournament in Orange, Calif.
St. Gregory’s (6-6) never trailed against the Lumberjacks as LSA Rookie of the Year James Smith equaled a season high with eight goals. It was his 10th consecutive hat trick and seventh time he has scored five or more goals in a game this season.
St. Gregory’s took advantage of a couple of man-up opportunities in the first quarter, racing out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Smith and Richard Fromdahl. The Lumberjacks pulled to within 2-1 before Smith closed out the frame with an unassisted score.
It was 3-2 midway through the second when Fromdahl struck again from the right side. Smith gave the Cavs their largest lead of the half moments later on a spinning, no-look goal to make it 5-2 going into intermission.
SFA closed to within 5-3 and then 6-4 with 5:20 left in the third. The Lumberjacks’ Tanner Brown accounted for both of those scores. But St. Gregory’s would go on a 4-0 run over the next 9:17 of game time to essentially put it away at 10-4 early in the fourth.
The Cavaliers were the aggressors for much of the game, especially when the ball was loose. SGU owned a 71-39 advantage in ground balls. Fromdahl, Donald Murphy, Bryson Sanders and Joshua Bullock tied for team-high honors with 10 grounders each.
John Curtis was again solid in goal, turning away 16 of SFA’s on-target attempts.
Oklahoma State and St. Gregory’s met one other time this season. The Cowboys erased a 4-1 halftime deficit in Stillwater to defeat Cavs, 9-5, in that contest on February 20.