May. 15th, 2004 - Gauchos Hold Off Rams Late To Claim Their First National Championship
Gauchos Hold Off Rams Late To Claim Their First National Championship
Article By Rene Kozarsky
FENTON, MO - The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos held off the Colorado State Rams in the latter minutes of the fourth quarter to finally capture their first USL MDIA National Championship. The Gauchos avenged the 6-4 loss that CSU had handed them in last year's final. The game featured two very even matched teams in a fast and physical affair in which no one opened more than a two goal lead.
The game began with UCSB winning the faceoff, with Tourney MVP Will Patton picking up the loose ball and running back into his own defensive zone. The crowd figured the wrong way middie was a little nervous from the huge crowd and the national CSTV audience.
"I have been doing that all year, I've coming back and going to Ryan (Brittain)," added the junior middie.
"They (the crowd) may have thought I was going the wrong way but I know the truth," laughed Patton about it after the game.
Things got worse for Patton as soon after that he reopened a cut on his chin from a previous tourney game. The blood from the cut stained his jersey and he was forced out of the game by the referees to change it. Patton's familiar number four was replace with number nine for the rest of the title game.
The Gauchos were able to light up the board first on a Luke Wilson goal just over two minutes into the game. But the Rams answered just 12 seconds later off the ensuing faceoff when Nick Stanitz-Harper finished a CSU fast break that was jump started off the draw, by none other than LSM Mark Plonkey.
The Rams actually grabbed the lead 2-1 just under a minute later when Stanitz-Harper finished a feed on the crease from Patrick Bird.
UCSB was able to draw even with just under two minutes remaining in the first when the newly dubbed #9, Will Patton, finished a high shot in close. The two MDIA juggernauts closed the opening stanza knotted at two.
The Rams again grabbed the lead by a goal, only to have the Gauchos find the equalizer. Then the Gauchos surged ahead, opening their own 4-3 lead then a 6-4 lead with 2:57 left in the half. The Rams answered back with just six second s to go tin the half when Tim Farquhar found Patrick Bird open on the crease from the right wing. The tally made the affair a one goal contest at the half.
The teams played a relatively even third quarter. The Rams knotted the score again at six apiece with 3:01 left in the period when Michael Murphy from behind the cage found a wide open Tim Chorey alone on the crease. Chorey finished the open shot, created from an early Gaucho slide from the crease.
But UCSB answered back with just 20 seconds left in the quarter, when Tom Smith picked up a loose ball in the crease and alertly fired it past CSU keeper Pete Jokisch making the score 7-6. That goal set the stage for one of the best final quarters in recent MDIA finals history.
The teams dug in and fought for every ground ball. The Gauchos' Steve Christensen beat his man behind the cage and then beat the subsequent CSU slide to the near right pipe and finished the shot to give UCSB a two goal advantage with just 8:32 left. But the Rams weren't finished.
Nick Stanitz-Harper put a nice bounce shot to UCSB keeper Ryan Brittain's right to make it a one goal contest with 5:01 left. The stage was set for a classic finish.
UCSB managed to steal a key possession and call timeout with 3:05 left. Many in the crowd questioned the call, which seemed to benefit CSU by allowing them to set up defensively. First year UCSB Head Coach Mike Allan explained his reasoning.
"I took the timeout to settle it down. We hadn't held on to the ball for a long time, it was pretty sloppy and it spent a lot of time on our defensive end at the end of the game. I was kind of worried."
Colorado State Head Coach Flip Naumburg took advantage of the situation and put long sick middie and MDIA Preseason player of the year on the ball. It may not have been Piertamala vs. Gait in the final moments of '89 DI final, but it was just as interesting. UCSB put the ball in senior Hank Caulkins' stick and none other than CSU LSM Mark Plonkey was given the assignment of getting it from him. Two of the best at what they do and with all the marbles at stake, what else could you ask for?
"Luckily I was able to run with him and keep my feet and get a check on him at the last second, over his head. He (Naumburg) said not for us not to be desperate because we still had plenty of time in the game," added the Tourney Defensive MVP after the game.
Plonkey lived up to his reputation, stripping the ball and getting CSU the key possession. CSU then called a timeout to try and set something up, but the Rams wound up throwing the ball away. But they still weren't done. They regained possession with about 50 seconds left. All Tourney middie Tim Farquhar tried to feed Stanitz-Harper on the crease. But he was not able to handle the high quick stick attempt and the Gauchos gained possession.
"I was hoping to find somebody. Harper looked like he had an opening through there. He whiffed on the ball. I thought he was going to come down with it."
UCSB ran out the remaining clock and captured their first MDIA National Championship. UCSB junior goalie was happy but drained after the game.
"I'm emotionally drained I don't like close games. We knew it was going to be close, but we weren't prepared for this close.""
Tourney MVP Will Patton shared his feeling about overcoming the hurdle that had stopped the Gauchos in recent years.
"It feels great. We came into the season knowing we had a real special team. We pretty much had the main players intact from last season, so it makes it that much sweeter, coming back and taking it. "
Allan also was obviously excited after winning his first national championship as a head coach and shared his feelings after the game.
"I feel incredibly fortunate to have this group of guys. The seniors have meant so much to this program and have really taken it to the next level. Hopefully we can keep that going.""
And that's a good possibility as Brittain, Wilson, Patton, and a huge group of others returning next year. With that group of gunslingers back, we might not be saying "adios" to the Gauchos in the finals any time soon.
Following the Championship game, the 2004 MDIA All-Tournament Team and Tournament MVP's were announced:
2004 MDIA All Tournament Team
Most Valuable Player
Will Patton - UCSB
Offensive MVP
Kelten Johnson – CSU
Defense MVP
Mark Plonkey - CSU
First Team Attack
Hank Caulkins - UCSB, Luke Wilson – UCSB, Justin Heir – BYU
First Team Midfield
Tim Farquhar – CSU, Tom Smith – UCSB, Jordan Peel - BYU
First Team Defense
Tycho Suter – UCSB, Michael Greeson – CSU, Taylor Cotterell - BYU
First Team Specialist
Damon Conklin-Moragne - UCSB
First Team Goalie
Ryan Britton - UCSB
Second Team Attack
Sean Quinn – FSU, Nick Stanis-Harper – CSU, Jon Mangum - BYU
Second Team Midfield
MJ Crickmore – Sonoma, Ross Mangum – BYU, Justin Gal - Michigan
Second Team Defense
Carson Parmalee – Arizona, Mike Roth – Michigan, Michael Cannis - Sonoma
Second Team Specialist
Dave Clark - CSU
Second Team Goalie
Pete Jokisch - CSU