Issaquah Outlasts Bellevue 6-2

The no. 2 seed in the Northeast Conference was on the line as the Bellevue Wolverines came in looking to steal one from host- the Issaquah Eagles.  Issaquah was back firing on all cylinders as their midseason problems seemed to have evaporated in their 8-6 win over Bainbridge Island last week. Bellevue was feeling good as well, returning a slew of injured players Tuesday night in a rout of the playoff-bound Skyline Spartans.

Though it drizzled all afternoon the skies opened up an hour before game time and hard rain set in for most of the game. The first five minutes proved to be an accurate summary of the game to come: Issaquah's offense worked the ball for four minutes and shot multiple times, but off cage. After a save, the Wolverine offense brought the ball down, set up briefly, then turned the ball over on an errant pass. Back on defense Bellevue held, then finally allowed a goal on the doorstep, in this case a rebound shot put in by Matt O'Neill. In the first quarter, Issaquah had three lengthy possessions and Bellevue with just two. A transition game this was not to be.

In the second quarter, both teams killed EMOs effectively. Eagles' netminder O'Neil Hughes (4 saves) made a spectacular save on Drew Douglas's point-blank shot.  Both defenses worked well with Bellevue constantly sliding into the hands of Kevin Powers and Ben Director to prevent any effective shots. Issaquah buried the Wolverine attackmen and dared any middie to try to dodge and shoot. Bellevue keeper Austin Boyd (16 saves) finished the half with 9 saves on 10 shots as he kept the 'Blue Man Group' in the game. Time of possession continued to be wildly in the favor of the Eagles, yet the halftime score remained just 1-0.

The momentum shifted as Powers took the starting second half faceoff all the way to the cage, burying a lefty rip through Boyd's 5-hole.  Bellevue responded quickly, Hank Bethke picked up a groundball at midfield, scoring unassisted.  Then junior midfielder Andrew Gulrajani buried a high time-and-room shot from outside to tie the game up. With under a minute left in the quarter, Issaquah's Jake Fritz picked off an ill-timed clearing pass meant for Boyd and finished. Fritz's smart play off the miscue gave the Eagles a 3-2 lead going into the final quarter.

Issaquah's domination of the Bellevue offense finally began to pay off as the Wolverine defense wore down. O'Neill dumps one in off a great assist by Michael Hatcher. Powers continued to dominate the face offs (10 of 11 for the game) and the Eagles made the Wolverines earn every ground ball they get. Bellevue struggled to clear and with two minutes to go, Ben Director beat Boyd with a sneaky short pipe bouncer.  The Eagles would add an empty net goal as time expired and the rains finally left. Final score was 6-2 Issaquah.

With the win, Issaquah has to feel  like they're peaking at the right time. They've patched up the cracks that were developing and seem to be back working together as a team. They've earned a first-round bye.  Bellevue has to regroup and try and find an offense that can score in traffic, as their playoff journey will take them into the teeth of some tough defenses.

Players of the Game:

Issaquah - Kevin Powers - 10 of 11 face offs, 1g, 5gbs

Bellevue - Austin Boyd - 16 saves on 22 shots.