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Di Miller, RBLL-Colorado Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome
The Regional Box Lacrosse League-Colorado (RBLL) opened up the 2017 season last weekend with one game being held in Colorado Springs at the Soccer Haus, home of the Colorado Wolves; and the other in Fort Collins at The Event Center, home of the Mile High Stars.
Denver Buzz vs. Colorado Wolves
Game One was held on Saturday August 26, 2017 with the Colorado Wolves (1-0) hosting the Sr. A Denver Buzz (0-1). Final Score: Wolves 12—Buzz 8.
The Wolves would open up the first at the 1:55 mark with Melvin Gowl (1G, 2A) sending it between the pipes. Joshua Mcdougall was in net for the Buzz and throughout the course of the game would see 43 shots on goal; 12 goals against; 31 saves and a .721 save percentage. The Wolves would take a 2-1 lead at 3:21 off the assist from Shawn O’Rourke (1A) to Paul Hummer (1G). It would take over three minutes of back and forth hard hitting action before the Buzz would get on the board. Colt Webb (1A) had a nice feed with a quick pass to Bradey Hall (3G) at 6:56. Less than a minute later, Mike Sageart (2G) would net an unassisted shot past Mcdougall putting the Wolves back up by two. The Buzz would notch back-to-back goals off Max Raynor (1G) unassisted at 9:47; followed by Joey Huntley (1G) only 52 seconds later. 
The Buzz tied the game at the 10:29 mark at three apiece. But Brian Hannon (1G) would hit back for the Wolves with the assist from Julian Espinoza (1G, 1A) putting them back up on top. The fans would watch ping pong lacrosse for the next five minutes while the players sent wild shots, hitting the pipes or going wide until the 17:12 mark when Denver would tie it up again. Brandon Corbo would get his only goal of the night to tie the game at four apiece. However the Wolves weren’t going to locker room without firing back, which they did when Nic Bevacqua would get his first of three on the night at 18:32 to end the first period. The penalties totaled six in the first with three called against each team. The Buzz would get nailed with three minors; and the Wolves with a roughing major and two minors. Score at the end of the first: Wolves 5—Buzz 4.
The Buzz would start off the second with back-to-back goals the first by Hall at 1:33; and the second by Reice Hendricks (1G) at the four minute mark putting the Buzz up by one 6-5 and the last time the Buzz would lead in the game. The net minders were both in their groove and it showed, but later in the period, Mcdougall for the Buzz wasn’t seeing the ball well and the defense was missing their slides with the coverage sketchy at best. Dennis Riego of the Wolves was in net for the first and second and was protecting the net well. In total, he would see 27 shots on goal; seven goals against; 20 saves; and a .741 save percentage. After close to five minutes of scoreless lacrosse, the Wolves 
would come to life and go on a five-goal run. The first three unassisted with Espinoza hitting net at 8:42; then Bevacqua would notch back-to-back goals at 9:56 and 10:24 giving him the hat-trick on the night. Mark Stapor (2G) would team up with Gowl assisting on back-to-back goals yet again for the Wolves. Frustrations began to build on the Buzz bench and tempers flared with several fights breaking out during the course of the game. Again there would be six penalties in the period three apiece this time all penalties were minor infractions. Score at the end of the second period: Wolves 10—Buzz 7.
As the teams came out of the locker room for the final frame, the Buzz bench was “buzzing”. Players were getting hyped in the hopes that they could outscore the Wolves as a three goal deficit with 20 minutes remaining could easily be surpassed with smart passes, quality net minding and good team work. However, Denver couldn’t control the ball well, were rushing shots and not passing the ball.
In a very aggressive third period of play, a push from behind in front of the Buzz crease started a fight which exploded into several players going at it in front of the net. But it would be Paul Hummer of the Wolves would get the brunt of the fight with an ejection at the 4:06 mark for an unsportsmanlike major. There would be only three goals in the frame with the first coming at the 8:44 mark when Sageart of the Wolves would notch back-to-back goals giving him the hat-trick on the night, the first coming off the assist from Jake Henningman; and the second unassisted at 11:12 putting the Wolves up by the score of 12-7. Again the fans would have to watch the players run back and forth down the floor, getting the rebounds off the boards and scoreless lacrosse until the Buzz would put the final point on the board with Hall getting his hat-trick at 18:30 (assist Tristan Darnell). This was not only the last time the Buzz would score, but the last goal of the game. In net for the Wolves for the last 20 was Jake Henningman who would see 14 shots on goal; 13 saves; 1 goal against; and an amazing .929 save percentage. Final Score: Colorado Springs 12—Denver 8.
The teams will meet again for a rematch on the Denver Buzz’s home turf, the Apex Fieldhouse at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday September 9, 2017.
Parker Rangers vs. Mile High Stars
Game Two was held on Sunday August 27, 2017 with the Sr. B Mile High Stars (1-1) hosting the Sr. B Parker Rangers (1-0). Final Score: Rangers 16—Stars 5.
The game had an extremely slow start. Both net minders held tough in net for the first 11 and a half minutes of the frame. Scott Fields got the starting nod for the Stars and would see 28 shots on goal; 9 goals against; 19 saves; and a .679 save percentage. Derek Armer-Derner of the Rangers would set up between the pipes for the full 60, seeing 27 shots; five goals against; 22 saves and an .815 save percentage. Doug Naes (2G) would finally break the silence and put the Stars on the board at 11:23. Anders Houser would notch his only goal of the game a little over two minutes later at 13:29 putting the Stars up 2-0. 
The Rangers would hit back with one from Preston Plume (1G) putting into twine at 15:46. Three minutes later at 18:42 Denton Asdourian (1G) would give the Stars a two goal lead but the lead was cut to one when CJ Gerber (2G, 1A), Rangers forward would put it past Simonton with 12 seconds remaining in the first. The Rangers would be penalized four times in the first with two Roughing (minors); one Roughing (major); and a Fighting (major). The Stars would be hit with only one, a Roughing (Minor). Score at the end of the first: Stars 3—Rangers 2.
Matthew Simonton got the nod and stood between the pipes for the Stars in the second. He would see 18 shots on goal; seven goals against; 11 saves; and a .611 save percentage. Just as the Rangers had closed out the first, they would start the second with a four-goal run. David Shaum (4G) would team up with assists from Ethan Heritage (4G, 3A) hitting back-to-back goals putting the Rangers up by one. Next up, it would be Heritage scoring back-to-back for the Rangers at 7:13 and 11:57 extending their lead 6-3 a little over half way through the frame. The Stars would hit their only goal with another from Naes at 12:38 bringing them back to within two. But the Rangers would close out the second with three unanswered goals. The first off Willy Gettinger (2G) assist to Blinz Hansen (1A) at 14:47. Then Rangers Adam Kuhlberg (1G) would hit net at 16:41; and closing out the period, Shaum would get his hat-trick with 33 seconds left before the buzzer. Surprisingly the second quarter was almost penalty free with the Rangers coming away with the only penalty at 16:11 on the clock. Score at the end of the second: Rangers 9—Stars 4.
The final period would be all Rangers. They would open it up at 6:04 off a goal from Ben Weisz (2G, 3A) with the assist from Heritage. 
The Stars would find twine only once in the final 20 with Felix Nyekorac (1G) hitting net only 44 seconds later. The Rangers would dominate with a six-goal run with Shaum at 10:21; Heritage at 13:27 (assist Weisz); Gerber at 13:37; Gettinger at 15:53; Heritage again at 16:27; and Weisz closing out the game and ending the misery for the Stars at 17:38. In the third, the frustration on the Stars bench was evident as they would be hit with three penalties as opposed to the Rangers receiving only one. All penalties in the third were “minors”. It was almost as if the Stars had left the arena and were definitely overpowered by the Rangers in the final 40 minutes of play. Final Score: Rangers 16—Stars 5.
The Rangers will head back up to Fort Collins to face the Stars again at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday September 9, 2017.
Di Miller, RBLL-Colorado Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome