Championship attained!!

Bellevue registers comeback victory against Eastside Catholic in the lacrosse state title game

By Shaun Scott • May 29, 2016 1:31 am
Bellevue Wolverines players celebrate after defeating the Eastside Catholic Crusaders 7-6 in the Washington Lacrosse boys Division 1 championship game on May 28 in Tukwila. It was the Wolverines fourth lacrosse state title in the past five seasons.
Bellevue Wolverines players celebrate after defeating the Eastside Catholic Crusaders 7-6 in the Washington Lacrosse boys Division 1 championship game on May 28 in Tukwila. It was the Wolverines fourth lacrosse state title in the past five seasons.

The Bellevue Wolverines boys lacrosse team came through in the clutch with a state title on the line against the Eastside Catholic Crusaders.

With 6:19 left in regulation, Bellevue’s Augie Fratt scored his fourth and final goal of the game, giving his team a 7-6 lead they wouldn’t relinquish for the remainder of the night. Bellevue was able to maintain possession of the ball for the majority of the final five minutes of the contest, preserving a comeback 7-6 win in the Washington Lacrosse boys Division 1 championship game on May 28 at StarFire Sports Complex in Tukwila.

Bellevue, who trailed 6-4 with 10:21 remaining in the third quarter, outscored the Crusaders 3-0 in the final 22 minutes of play. Fratt finished the contest with a team-high four goals. The Wolverines second half surge was just what the doctor ordered after last season’s 11-8 loss to Mercer Island in the 2015 title game.

“It was awesome since last year we were on the other side of it,” Fratt said of the comeback win against Eastside Catholic. “This whole season we have been working hard and we kind of expected to end up in this game.”

Bellevue head coach John Baumann echoed Fratt’s sentiment during the rain-soaked celebration on the field following the win.

“It was our mission to get this done and it wasn’t easy. Hats off to Eastside Catholic. That was a hell of a team, we knew they were going to bring it. It was a hell of a battle. It could have went either way to be honest,” Baumann said.

Baumann believes the turning point of the game came just with a little under seven minutes to go in regulation. Eastside Catholic goalie Josh Matte, who finished the game with 13 saves, leveled Bellevue’s Tom Heed in front of the goal, drawing a two-minute penalty. With the Crusaders a player down, Bellevue capitalized with Fratt’s goal with 6:19 left on the clock for the game-winner.

“I think the penalty in the end was a big momentum swing in the fourth (period) which was huge and we took advantage of it,” Baumann said. “We made the plays in the fourth quarter that we needed to make.”

Joe Bethke, Matthew Marino and Paul Johnson each scored a goal in the victory for Bellevue. Bethke’s goal with 8:09 left in regulation tied the game at 6-6. Eastside Catholic’s Bryce Atwater and Chase Bultez each scored two goals in the loss. Eric Prologo and Jack Sercu chipped in one goal apiece as well.