Eagle Valley senior goalie Joe Sheldon looked impenetrable.
He already had made 14 saves by the time the Devils tied the Durango High School boys lacrosse team late in the fourth quarter Friday in Durango.
DHS senior Jack Marshall found a way through for the game-winning goal with 1 minute, 34 seconds remaining to give the Demons a 9-8 triumph over their Mountain League rivals.
“The defense was unsettled, so I called for the ball,” said Marshall, son of Lisa and Peter Marshall. “I knew the goalie was really good, so I knew I had to hit the bottom (of the goal) because he’s really good at stopping at the top.”
Marshall’s second goal of the season arrived with an assist from senior Trevor Gabbard, who also scored a game-high three goals. It also came at a crucial moment for DHS (2-2, 1-2 ML), which saw its 7-3 halftime lead erased with 2:35 left in the game when Eagle Valley (2-4, 1-4 ML) tied the game at 8.
“I was sweating the whole game,” DHS head coach John Robinette said. “I know how quickly lacrosse games can change and how quickly momentum can change from one end to the other.”
Especially when the goalie on the other end makes extending a lead near impossible.
Sheldon faced 39 shots in the game, 23 of which the Demons put on frame.
“When you’re getting pounded like that, if you let it in, you reset,” Sheldon said.
He kept DHS off the board for 19:18 in the second half while the Devils mounted their comeback, scoring five goals in the second half to Durango’s two.
The pair held up for the Demons’ second consecutive win, though.
“We pretty much thought we had it won, which we didn’t,” said Gabbard, son of Joe and Kelly Gabbard. “I got in there at the end of the third (quarter) and told (the Demons) it takes four quarters, and great teams finish.”
DHS showed flashes of last year’s playoff team after finally practicing on full fields for consecutive weeks.
Seven different Demons scored, and DHS goalie Hank Muir made six saves, none more critical than his last.
“He’s a three-year starter, stepped up to play goalie when we didn’t have anybody to play that position,” Robinette said. “That (save) can help carry him through the rest of the season.”
The Demons will go for their third consecutive win at 1 p.m. Saturday at DHS against Santa Fe Prep. The Blue griffins defeated DHS for the first time ever in any form of lacrosse competition during a seven-on-seven tournament in the fall.
Robinette isn’t letting his team forget it.
“I’m not taking anything for granted,” he said. “I’m using that as motivation for these kids, letting them know about that.”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
