No. 10 Westminster edges out overtime win against No. 3 Utah Valley
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By Tim Haslam
Photo by ShootingStar Photography
The No. 10 Westminster Griffins beat No. 3 Utah Valley in a snowy thriller at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City on Saturday. The Griffins game-winning goal came 46 seconds into overtime, making the final score 9-8.
Westminster attackmen Kellen Lynn scored the game-winning goal just days after joining the Griffins.
“[Lynn] had some difficulties eligibility wise,” said Westminster Head Coach Mason Goodhand. “Our school has some pretty stringent academic rules beyond the MCLAs’ rules and he happened to get his act together and he happened to be the guy who scored the game-winning goal. It’s nice to see when success stories like that happen.”
Westminster (5-2, 1-0) scored first on a goal by Sophomore attackmen Dallin Hall. Utah Valley (3-2, 0-1) then went on a three goal run to take a two goal lead with 4:38 remaining in the first quarter. However, Westminster won the ensuing face-off but the UVU defense quickly forced a turnover but was unable to clear the ball. Westminster attackmen Andrew Gordon capitalized on the unsettled situation by scooping up the loose ball and shooting it past UVU goalie Cory Heward.
Westminster scored first in the second quarter on a goal by Hall. UVU answered four minutes later to regain the lead. Westminster tied the game with 2:36 remaining in the half on a goal by Josh Condas. Two minutes later, with only 38 seconds remaining in the half, Westminster midfielder Jake Arthur scored to give the Griffins a 5-4 lead going into halftime.
After five minutes of good defensive stretches by both teams, Westminster finally broke through the UVU defense, giving them a two goal lead. A two goal lead wasn’t enough though as just 9 seconds later, Westminster midfielder Gian Sexsmith scooped up the ground ball off the face-off and drove to the goal and scored, extending the Griffin lead to 3 goals. UVU answered a minute later when a UVU defensemen cleared the ball to attackmen Cam Peterson, who was uncovered and quickly drew a slide which left open midfielder Shawn Carter who was streaking down the middle of the field. Carter caught the ball and shot it pass Westminster goalie Dallas McLellan. Westminster scored another goal in the third quarter to take a 3 goal lead going into the fourth quarter.
Westminster failed to score in the fourth quarter while allowing UVU to score three goals and force overtime. UVU scored with 1:22 left in the game on an extra man goal by Chad Frost. UVU then won the ensuing face-off, got the ball into the offensive zone and called timeout. After the timeout, UVU worked the ball around a couple of times before Carter took the ball to the left side and drove past his defender, shooting and scoring the game-tying goal with just 38 seconds left remaining in the game.
In overtime, Westminster won the face-off and got the ball into their offensive zone. After a shot that sailed wide, Westminster attackmen Andrew Gordon started with the ball in the back-right corner. When the whistle blew, Gordon streaked behind the cage making it to the left goal-line-extended before his defensemen checked the ball away. While the ball was down near the crease, Lynn scooped the ball into the top right corner of the goal, giving the Griffins the win. Lynn immediately removed his helmet and threw both hands in the air while his teammates chased him and eventually caught him, forming a big pile at midfield.
“We’re going to have a rivalry with these guys no matter where we play and no matter what the conditions,” said Goodhand.
Westminster will play in-state rival Utah on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City.
Tim Haslam is a Journalism hobbyist who enjoys fly-fishing, watching Real Salt Lake and coaching and covering lacrosse. You can find more information about Tim at www.timhaslam.com
