A talented group of Durango High School senior boys lacrosse players set out to make history in 2017. They wanted to set the program’s record for highest win total. They wanted to beat Aspen. They wanted to win a state playoff game. Two down, one to go.
The Demons capped off the greatest regular season in school history Saturday with an 11-5 home win against the mighty Aspen High School Skiers. It was sweet revenge after suffering a 9-8 loss March 18th at Aspen. Durango lost that game when the Skiers scored a goal with only 4 seconds to play in the fourth quarter.
This time, the Demons left no doubt and held the Skiers scoreless the entire fourth quarter to secure the win. It sent Durango to a 12-3 overall record and a 7-3 mark in the 5A/4A Mountain League. The 12 wins are two more than the team’s previous mark for most wins set in the 2014 season. The loss was the first this season in Mountain League play for Aspen (11-4, 9-1 ML),
“Rewriting the history books,” said DHS senior Kyle Robinette, who finished the regular season with 108 points after scoring four goals and recording an assist Saturday. “First time to ever beat Aspen. We’ve been waiting to beat these guys for four years. It means everything in this year of firsts.”
Tommy Rodgers had two goals and four assists for a team-high six points in the match. Jackson Steigelman, playing through a broken wrist, as was JJ Steigelman, scored two goals and had six ground balls.
“These guys put the team before themselves,” Rodgers said of the Steigelmans and other players competing through illness and injury. “That’s instrumental to our success.”
TJ Rifkin also had a goal and an assist and also credited his teammates for playing through pain when it mattered most.
“If kids are willing to cut their casts off at halftime, that’s the kind of kid I want on my team,” Rifkin said.
Jeb Steigelman also had a goal. Head coach John Robinette told him before the game that his team needed a big contribution from Jeb to win, and he delivered with the goal and several key ground balls.
Cullen Robinette also had a goal and an assist and played with a long stick in the midfield early in the game. The sophomore set the tone with two takeaways and a couple of ground balls, and his intensity was evident throughout the game.
“This is a classic game of lacrosse, if I do say so myself,” Cullen Robinette yelled to his team in the fourth quarter as play became increasingly physical and emotions began to boil over past referee whistles.
Dylan Gaver made four saves in goal and drew the praise of Aspen head coach David Miller after the game. Eli Cagan also showed his competitive spirit and made three saves in the third quarter when he got his chance in net.
Though the Durango attack had the goals to win the game, it was the Demons’ defense that rose to the occasion and played its best game of the season. During a five-minute stretch in the third quarter, the defense was relentless and took away the Skiers’ chance at cutting into what was an 8-4 Durango lead at the time. The entire sideline for Durango let their voices be heard, and the relentless pressure applied by Conner and Dillon Coleman along with Connor Collins, Corbin Randle and many more made life difficult on a young Aspen attack.
“This was the game we were looking forward to the most I think,” Conner Coleman said.
“We were so fired up,” Collins added. “The most fired up game we’ve had all season, hands down.”
Gaver had a big hit of his own in the fourth quarter. It had every player in a white uniform jumping in the air to celebrate the goalie’s fearless play.
“As a goalie, you don’t get a lot of those, so I have one good one now,” Gaver joked.
Aspen was without six or seven players on the road trip, Miller said. They were out because of school testing obligations, which Miller said are the top priority.
“Durango’s defense was good, and I liked the way the goalie played,” the visiting coach said. “I think our offense could have moved the ball more.
“However, I think today was a win for everybody. We clinched the division last weekend and get to kind of hit reset after this one. Durango got a win over Aspen, and that’s fantastic for Durango. Hats off to (John Robinette) and the Durango kids, they were great. They dominated ground balls and out-hustled Aspen.”
Aspen is guaranteed a spot in the Class 4A state tournament. Durango will rely on an at-large bid, as 16 teams make the tournament field. Durango entered Saturday No. 14 in the RPI standings, and Aspen was seventh. Durango could move up a spot with the win but will surely hit the road in the first round of the tournament to play one of the state’s top teams. Aspen is on the bubble of hosting a first-round game or having to travel.
“It’s out of our hands and nothing we can do about it,” coach Robinette said. “We’re practicing Monday no matter what. Either to prepare for playoffs or to have one last practice. I’d like to think we’re one of the top-16 teams in 4A, and we’ll go and play wherever we have to.”
Brackets will be released Monday morning, and DHS should know its fate by 11 a.m.
“We can celebrate this Aspen win now, but our focus turns to playoffs immediately,” said DHS senior Easton Verduzco.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
