MERCER ISLAND --- Midfielder Connor Bernal netted 4 goals to lead Mercer Island to a 9 - 5 boys Division I semifinal playoff win over defending state champions Bellevue, Wednesday at Mercer Island High School for a berth in the Division I state championship game.

The trip to Saturday’s state title game, a matchup with undefeated Bainbridge, which defeated Issaquah in its semifinal, is the Islander’s 10th in 11 years. Mercer Island fell to Bellevue in last year’s championship.

Bernal was among seven Islanders to score in the win. The junior’s 4 goals were complimented by 4 ground ball grabs on defense.

Islander coach Ian O’Hearn anticipated a strong showing from Bellevue’s attackmen in the matchup. “We laid out exactly what they were going to do,” said O’Hearn, whose squad dominated faceoffs in the second half, winning 9 of 9 and held Bellevue’s attackmen to just 3 goals on the night.

The state championship trip is the ninth in 10 years for O’Hearn since taking over the MI program.

In the first, the Islanders and Bellevue knotted the game at 1 – 1 before Mercer Island broke away for 3 goals in the second to take a 4 – 2 lead into the intermission. In the third, the two rivals again played head-to-head scoring 2 goals each as the Islanders took a 6 – 4 lead into the final quarter. In the fourth, MI held Bellevue to just a solo goal while adding another 3 seal the victory.

Attackmen Grant Preisler and Matthew Shields, and midfielders Colton Knebel and Alex Robbs all scored solo shots for the Islanders while Brian Bernstein recorded 8 saves in goal.

For Bellevue, Drew Douglas led all scorers, while Austin Boyd had 14 saves in the Wolverine nets.

In their only meeting this season, the Islanders downed the Wolverines 8 - 6 in a March 31 matchup at Bellevue High School.

Mercer Island finished the regular season winning its finals 10 games for an 18-2-0 record atop the Northeast Conference. After earning a first-round playoff bye, the Islanders eliminated King’s Way in the quarterfinals to advance to the matchup with Bellevue.

Bellevue finished the season 16-5-0. The Wolverines won four of its final five games of the regular season to tie Issaquah for second in the Northeast Conference. In the playoffs, the Wolverines dispatched Lake Tapps in the opening round and Curtis in the quarterfinals, before falling to the Islanders

 

report from US Lacrosse - Washington Chapter - www.uslax-wa.org