Bighorns keep winning

Playing for the first time in two weeks, the Oasis Bighorns under-15 lacrosse team earned another sweep last week against Spanish Springs and Truckee.

The U-13 team, meanwhile, split its two games and the girls U13/15 squad ended its first-ever regular season in a 5-5 tie.

On Thursday, U15 midfielders Anthony Lombardo and Trent Thorn started off the scoring for the Bighorns, while defenders David Springfield, Mason Lofthouse, Erick Orozco, Dillon Presnell and JayDan Vasquez kept the Spanish Springs offense from getting any quality shots on goal until late in the second quarter. Oasis crushed the Cougars in a 12-2 win.

With the second quarter coming to a close, on a slow whistle for a slashing call, the Cougars finally found the back of the net. On the ensuing faceoff, with the Bighorns shorthanded for one minute, midfielder Josh Carter took over.

He won the faceoff and charged in to score unassisted. Moments later, on the next faceoff, he repeated the effort to score twice in under 10 seconds.

The Bighorns came out to play a disciplined second half, never letting the Cougars generate any offense. Attackman Koda Biggs netted a beautiful goal while on the extra man offense, and attackman Nick Delgado, closely covered by three defenders all night, finally got loose for a quick goal.

Midfielder Trey Rooks added a goal, then midfielder Patrick Morrow put on a show.

Tristan Rodarte won the faceoff behind to Morrow, who scooped the ball and took off into the offensive zone. Dodging a defender, Morrow shot top corner on the run to pad the Bighorns’ lead.

Thorn added his second goal of the night and Carter completed his hat trick in style with a low to high shot that started at the bottom right, but ended up in the top left corner of the net leaving both teams shaking their heads.

The U13 Bighorns boys team, meanwhile, dominated early despite playing with only 11 players to secure a 9-3 victory.

Attackman Nico Hofheins started off the Bighorns scoring with his first of four goals on the night. Before the end of the first quarter, attackman Samuel Robertson added two more goals for the Bighorns.

With another pair for goals from Hofheins, midfielder Cole Hamlin added a highlight reel goal from the top of the crease off a perfect feed from midfielder Marcus Dahl. Midfielder, Zane Davis tallied an unassisted goal off a faceoff win.

At that point, the Bighorns started to suffer from the workload and Spanish Springs rallied. The Cougars scored twice before the highlight goal of the game from Oasis midfielder Seth Dunkin. Dunkin received a pass just above the crease, turned and dropped to an underhand shot for a low to high goal rendering the goaltender helpless.

On Saturday, the undefeated U15 Bighorns team continued its winning streak with an 8-4 victory over the Truckee Tribe to improve to 8-0.

Oasis started off uncharacteristically slowly, ending the first quarter tied at 1 on a beautiful goal from attackman Nate Keener. The Bighorns started to get their offense going in the second quarter, getting goals from midfielders Tristan Rodarte and Trey Rooks and a pair from attackman Nick Delgado.

In the third quarter, the Bighorns only added one goal, with Delgado completing his hat trick. At the other end, however, the defense locked it down, led by a stellar display by David Springfield.

Goalie Kaden Stone kept the net clear for the quarter. In the fourth quarter, with the Bighorns leading 5-2, the Tribe generated some offense off consecutive faceoff wins, but the Bighorns’ powerhouse offense was too much to overcome. Rodarte and Rooks both picked up their second goals of the game to seal the win.

The U13 boys, however, were again undermanned, with only 12 players available and fell 6-2 to Truckee. Defenseman Conor Keitz played on a sprained ankle, but the Bighorns were forced to go extended periods without substitutions.

Midfielder Nick Springfield played all but 90 seconds of the game, all at midfield, and never slowed down. Through the first half, the Bighorns traded goals with the Tribe, with Garrett Jarschke getting the Bighorns on the board in the first.

The Bighorns managed to keep the score close, with a goal from Seth Dunkin, but in the second half, with the Bighorns down 3-2, the gas ran out of the tank. The Tribe managed numerous shots on goal and despite huge saves from Damien Billips, Truckee pulled away in the fourth quarter to get the win.

Meanwhile, back in Reno, the Bighorns girls team locked horns once again with the Reno Wildfires in a 5-5 tie. Oasis goalie Karena Stark played her first game in goal and turned away numerous shots. Maiya Swan led off the scoring early and Katie Dunkin scored late in the half to tie the score.

The game was a close fought battle, and a fitting end to the season for the Bighorns.

This is the final week of the boys’ season. On Tuesday, the U13 Bighorns traveled to Spanish Springs. Today both teams travel to Billinghurst Middle School to take on the North Reno Outlaws with the U13 game at 5 p.m. and U15 match at 6 p.m. All three teams wrap up the season at the High Sierra Lacrosse League championship tournament at North Tahoe High School on Saturday.