BELLEVILLE, Ill. – On a brisk night at Lindenwood University-Belleville, Missouri Baptist men's lacrosse needed just over 47 minutes to take its first and only lead over Missouri State in the GRLC semifinals. The Spartans trailed 5-3 at the half and came back to beat the Bears 10-7, thus securing a spot in the championship game on Sunday.
After a full quarter of scoreless play, Missouri State struck first. Cameron Bostwick scored with 1:38 remaining in the first to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.
Just when it looked like the second quarter would begin with MBU in a hole, the Spartans tied it. Jacob Beckman fired a shot from about 15 yards out which beat Bear keeper Mason Goodwin to tie the match. Missouri Baptist's Aaron McClintock screened Goodwin on the shot with the netting of his stick allowing the ball to sail cleanly into the back of the net and helped to put his team right back in the match.
Missouri State regained the lead nearly five minutes into the second quarter. Bostwick netted his second of the contest and made it a 2-1 lead.
Four minutes later, the Bears struck again. Josh Harmon recorded his first of the match to extend the lead to 3-1. MBU's Alex Short posted the Spartan's first goal of the quarter to make it 3-2, but Missouri State's Dean Cervantes fired a shot past Missouri Baptist's James Rose to give MSU its two-goal lead back.
With just 2:07 remaining in the half, however, MBU got back on the board. Griffin Trotter posted the team's third goal, but Bostwick again came through for the Bears and notched his third of the match with just 20 seconds left to give MSU a 5-3 lead heading into the break.
After the half, Missouri Baptist began chipping away at the lead after Chris Callahan extended the Missouri State lead to 6-3. Bryan Bouas and Aaron McClintock posted goals about two minutes apart to make it 6-5 with 3:48 left in the quarter.
Bostwick briefly gave the Bears its two-goal advantage back but just nine seconds later, MBU cut the lead to one yet again. Spartan leading scorer Ian Brosch netted his team-leading 46th goal of the season to pull his team back within one.
With just 29 seconds left on the clock, Bouas collected his second, and biggest, score of the match to tie the contest at seven-all heading into the fourth quarter.
In the opening minutes of the final quarter, MBU's James Rose was fantastic. The Spartan goalie made two clutch saves, including a nifty kick save to rob a goal from the Bears and keep the game tied.
With 11:40 remaining, the Spartans took their first lead of the game. Mike Howle fired a goal past MSU's Goodwin to make it 8-7 and gave Missouri Baptist the slight advantage. Just over five minutes later, the junior did it again and extended the lead to two over the No. 2-seeded Bears. Ian Brosch added another with just over a minute remaining as the Spartans held-on in the end and held Missouri State scoreless in the final quarter.
Missouri Baptist will advance to play the No. 4-seeded DePaul at noon on Sunday.
