Loveland, CO – The #1 Colorado State Rams used a six goal third quarter to extend a 7-3 halftime lead into a 13-3 advantage over the visiting Westminster Griffins on Saturday afternoon at the Loveland Sports Park. The Rams got 14 total points from attackmen Sean Smith (Amherst HS / Amherst, NY) and Austin Fisher (Rock Canyon HS / Highlands Ranch, CO) to pull away from the MCLA Division II powerhouse in the second half and record a 14-7 win in what was otherwise an evenly played game.
Westminster struck first on a goal by Jake Arthur with 4:34 left in the first quarter, but the Rams scored four straight unassisted goals in a span of 1:40 to close out the period and head into the second frame up 4-1. The Rams outscored the Griffins 3-2 in the second quarter as well to stake out to their 7-3 lead as Smith had a hat-trick by the halftime whistle.
In the third quarter, the Colorado State extra-man unit went to work, scoring four of the team’s six goals. Fisher scored five points in the quarter, including three goals of his own to go along with two assists. Junior attackman Kacy Carter (Rock Canyon HS / Highlands Ranch, CO) scored two goals in the period as well.
With the Rams up by ten going into the fourth, the Griffins got on a roll in the final period, outscoring CSU 4-1. After Westminster rang off four straight goals in the quarter, CSU’s Mike Wolff (Don Bosco Prep / Ramsey, NJ) finished off the scoring on a fast-break feed from Smith to give the Rams an important 14-7 victory against a team planning to move up to MCLA Division I in the 2014 season.
Smith led all scorers with eight points on four goals and four assists while Fisher had four goals and two assists as well. Cole Christensen led Westminster with a goal and two assists. The Rams outshot Westminster 35-30 and picked up 22 groundballs to WC’s 19. CSU’s man-up scored on five of seven opportunities as well.
Colorado Stat e (2-0 overall; 1-0 RMLC) will embark on its first road trip of the season next weekend as they face two difficult opponents in #7 UC-Santa Barbara and UNLV on consecutive days in Las Vegas, NV. The Rams defeated UCSB 6-3 in the MCLA quarterfinals in 2012 and will be facing UNLV for the first time in recent history.