By Ed Wehde
WSL Special Correspondent

SAN DIEGO – No. 2 La Costa Canyon started fast and finished strong against Torrey Pines on Saturday. In between, the Mavericks were pretty good, too.

As a result, they doubled up on the Falcons, 12-6, in the CIF-San Diego Section boys lacrosse championship game at Del Norte High School, giving the program its fourth title, all of which have come in the last six years.

“We worked so hard all year long,” Mavericks senior long-stick middie Steven Bogert said. “I don't want to let go of (the trophy).

“We've grown up together since seventh or eighth grade, and to be able to earn the championship is fantastic for the community, for the younger kids and for our coach.”

The top-seeded Mavericks (23-0) wasted no time taking it to the Falcons (17-3). La Costa Canyon won the opening face-off and immediately went on the break. Senior middie Ian Hare scored 10 seconds into the game, and in a little more than two minutes the Mavericks had a 2-0 lead.

“Me and Andrew Hayden kind of planned that out – just doing our fast break – and it worked out,” Hare said about the first goal.

La Costa Canyon head coach Dallas Hartley said he thought the early goals helped his team mentally.

“We talked all week about execution in the playoffs, and to be able to score early, the confidence came,” Hartley said.

Torrey Pines, the second seed, responded and tied the game on Erik Myers’ goal with 7:37 left in the first quarter, but rest of the first half was all La Costa Canyon.

Hare, who finished with a game-high four goals, scored his third with 11:01 left in the second quarter to give the Mavericks a 6-2 lead that held until halftime.

“When you go down in a hole two goals like that, it makes you nervous, but we battled back,” Torrey Pines head coach John Principi said. “They play very good defense. We knew that was going to happen.

“Unfortunately, they got a couple early on us, and they started to add up. It’s a hard hole when you play a strong defense like that.”

Torrey Pines scored the first two goals after halftime, but by the end of the third quarter, the Mavericks’ lead was back to four at 9-5. After the teams traded goals early in the fourth, La Costa Canyon tacked on two goals in the final 1:07, both from senior attackman Timmy Andrews.

“They’re a very good lacrosse team,” Principi said. “I think they’re the best lacrosse team in the state of California, and we hung with them for four quarters. The score was deceiving. We were in that game until the end, and that’s a credit to these kids.”

Junior middie Michael Gennuso notched a pair of goals for La Costa Canyon, four other players added single goals, and Hayden, a senior middie, rounded out the offense with two assists.

Junior goalie Erik Sanschagrin saved 14 shots.

Senior middie Sam Anakar led Torrey Pines with two goals, and four players scored single goals, including Myers, who also had two assists. Senior goalie Alex Perkins made six saves.

La Costa Canyon was appearing in its eighth straight final, and Torrey Pines played in its fifth final overall. The Falcons had won their previous three title-game appearances, all against the Mavericks, with the last coming in 2007.

“I lost to Torrey my freshman year,” Hare said. “It feels awesome to beat them.”

La Costa Canyon vs Torrey Pines - Championships from Ted Bendrick - TVX Video.com on Vimeo.