SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –
Casey Davies scored five of his team-high eight goals in a second quarter flurry, as the College of Idaho opened play at the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association Division II National Championships with a 18-11 victory over Northern Arizona at the Salt Lake City Regional Athletic Complex.
The win for the Yotes (13-0) established a new single-season mark for victories and moves the squad into the national quarterfinals and a date tomorrow with No. 3-ranked Grand Valley State at 7:15 p.m.
It was a completely different start for the Coyotes – who trailed 12-0 in their 2018 first-round game at the tournament – as
Hank Ontiveros ripped a left handed shot into the net just four minutes into the contest to give C of I the lead.
The Lumberjacks (9-3), champions of the Southwestern Lacrosse Conference, got even late in the first quarter at 3-3 on a Ty Silva goal – but the Coyotes found their explosive rhythm to counter any NAU threat.
Ryan Henning scored late in the first quarter to start a 12-1 run over the next 20 minutes – featuring six goals from Davies and a hat trick from
Tyler Sanchez. An unassisted strike from Davies inside the final 40 seconds of the first half pushed the Yotes lead to 12-4, while a Henning goal early in the fourth quarter built an 18-5 lead.
NAU scored the final six goals of the match.
Davies extended his school record goals total to 69 with his big afternoon, with Henning and
Joey Brant each adding a pair of goals.
