MUKILTEO — Going into Friday night’s game against Snohomish, the Kamiak varsity lacrosse team knew it already had been eliminated from the postseason, but that didn’t stop it from making senior night a night to remember.
Kamiak fell behind two goals early, but responded with five unanswered goals and held off Snohomish for a 9-7 victory.
“We have three seniors on this team and they were a big part of that leadership to overcome that deficit,” Kamiak head coach Mike Harlow said. “It’s really good for them to step up and have the rest of the team step up. It’s going to be good for next year.”
The moves Kamiak into third place in the Wesco/Northwest Division, but only two teams qualify for the postseason.
Gabe Girgus, a senior at Cedar Park Christian, scored the game’s first two goals before four minutes had come off the game clock, but the Kamiak defense tightened and the offense started to click late in the first period.
“We just kind of came out a little too fast and didn’t settle down,” Harlow said. “When we finally did, the ball started falling our way and the offense worked.”
Kamiak freshman Alex Indelicato scored his team’s first goal of the game with 15 seconds remaining in the first quarter. It turned out to be a big night for Indelicato, who finished the game with three goals and one assist.
“I’m so happy with him this season, but his performance tonight definitely helps our team out,” Harlow said. “He puts this team on his back and takes isolations, scores on the crease and does everything right. He’s the hardest worked out here.”
Indelicato wasn’t the only Kamiak player to use the isolation successfully. Liew Rust, a senior at Kamiak, scored the first goal of the second quarter to tie the score at 2-2. He scored what proved to be the game-winner on a similar play in the fourth quarter, giving his team an 8-7 lead.
“(It was) a huge game tonight for him,” Harlow said. “Two big isolation plays — to kind of get a statement goal in the beginning and then have the nail in the coffin.”
The two teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 5-5 and exchanged goals for much of the period. Indelicato scored first, Snohomish’s Jake Berg answered tying the game at six.
Kamiak freshman Jackson Finnerty, who suffered a groin injury earlier in the game, answered Berg’s goal to give Kamiak a one-goal lead again. Finnerty was noticeably limping for much of the second half, but came up big for his team in the faceoff circle and with the late goal.
“Jackson Finnerty was huge in faceoffs today,” Harlow said. “I think he probably won 80 percent of them. He pushed it forward and controlled the ball. That really helped with the tempo.”
Snohomish answered Finnerty’s goal one more time to tie the score at 7-7, but Rust’s goal put Kamiak ahead for good. Kamiak junior Miles Craggs scored after Rust to give his team a two-goal lead and put the game out of reach.
Aaron Lommers covers prep sports for The Herald. Follow him on Twitter at @aaronlommers and contact him at alommers@heraldnet.com.
At Kamiak High School
Snohomish2032— 7
Kamiak1314— 9
Kamiak—Alex Indelicato 3 goals, 1 assist; Tyler Keele 2 goals, 1 assist; Liew Rust 2 goals; Miles Craggs 1 goal, 1 assist; Ian Carlson 12 saves. Snohomish—Scotty Newsom 3 goals; Gabe Girgus 2 goals, 2 ground balls; Davyd Powell 1 goal, 5 ground balls; Noah Palmaffy 16 saves. Kamiak 6-3-0, 8-4-0. Snohomish 6-2-0, 9-6-0.
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