De La Salle Wins 2nd CIF-North Coast Section Title in 3 Years

By Ben Malley
WSL Special Correspondent

DUBLIN, Calif. -- Pennsylvania-bound senior middie Nick Richards finished with a game-high five points on three goals and two assists to lead No. 18 De La Salle to a 12-7 victory over No. 22 Danville Monte Vista in the CIF-North Coast Section championship game Saturday at Dublin High School.

Senior attackman Harrison Cooper added four points on three goals and an assist, and junior middie Sean Mullin had three points on two goals and an assist to help the Spartans (17-4) win their second CIF title in the last three years.

“This just means so much,” said an emotional Richards, who shed tears of joy as he collected his championship medal. “These guys out here on the field with me, I’d die with them. The whole season, it just comes down to this game right here, and I’m so proud of the guys and the way they played today.”

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In defeat, senior middie Daniel Blakey and senior attackman Mitchell Stein each scored twice to lead a balanced offense for the Mustangs (16-7).

De La Salle controlled possession throughout much of the first quarter. After the teams traded goals to start the game, the Spartans took advantage, notching three goals, including two from Cooper, to take a 4-1 lead.

Monte Vista had the edge in possession at the start of the second quarter, but the Mustangs failed to capitalize because De La Salle sophomore goalie Teddy Wilm came up with a couple goal-saving stops.

“We worked so hard all year, and then it comes down to one game,” Wilm said. “I have to give all the credit to my defense. It’s all because of those guys. They worked so hard all game long.”

De La Salle extended its advantage to 6-2 in the third quarter after Richards made a beautiful pass from behind the cage to set up senior middie Matt Pereira, and senior defenseman Ryan McVay ran half the length of the field before putting it in the net himself.

But the Spartans couldn’t pull away yet.

The Mustangs stormed back with three unanswered goals to cut the lead to 6-5 and reclaim the momentum they had going into the half.

However, De La Salle finished the game with a 6-2 run, and Richards ended all doubt when he scored off a laser of a shot to put his team up 12-7 with 2:14 remaining.

“When we cut it to 6-5, I thought we could make one of our comebacks,” Monte Vista head coach Mike Lambrecht said. “But it didn’t happen. We gave them a run for their money, and I am really proud of my boys.”