By Robert Molinelli
WSL Nebraska Correspondent

OMAHA, Neb. -- Sophomore attackman Alex Myhre scored his only goal with 33 seconds remaining to give Millard West a dramatic, 7-6 victory over Creighton Prep in the Nebraska state championship game Saturday night at Tranquility Park.

Millard West, which finished the season with 12 straight victories, won the state championship for the first time in school history and prevented Creighton Prep from taking home its third straight title. Millard West went 12-0 against Nebraska competition and beat two-time defending champion Creighton Prep three times.

Senior middie Dan Clausen scored a team-high three goals, and senior attackman Matt Ketcham and Myhre both scored once to lead Millard West (12-1), which won after a wild final two minutes in which three goals were scored in a 46-second stretch.

"It was a hard-fought, physical game," Clausen said. "This was the hardest game of the year for us, but it was worth it."

The game seemed destined for overtime, tied 5-5 in the final two minutes, until Clausen scored an unassisted goal with 1:19 left in the fourth quarter to put Millard West up, 6-5. The Millard West bench exploded, but before it could celebrate the title, Creighton Prep increased the drama by winning the ensuing draw and getting the ball to senior attackman Cameron Killen, who fired a laser past Wildcats goalie Cameron Patrick to knot the game up at 6-6.

With 1:09 remaining, the Wildcats won the draw and called a timeout. After the brief break, the Wildcats took control of the ball, and Myhre scored his only goal of the night to put the Wildcats up 7-6 with 33 seconds left in regulation. Prep won the next face-off, but the Wildcats shut the Junior Jays down to preserve the victory.

The two fiercest rivals in Nebraska lacrosse came out firing from the opening whistle. Millard West won the opening face-off, and senior middie Jake Clark scored scored after only 20 seconds to put the Wildcats up, 1-0.

But the Junior Jays answered back with an almost identical goal. Prep won the ensuing face-off, and senior middie Ryan McGowan buried a shot from 15 yards out to tie the game.

Millard West and Creighton Prep continued an intense battle and were tied 2-2 at the end of the first quarter, 3-3 at halftime, and 4-4 going into the final 12 minutes. The Wildcats and the Junior Jays played the most evenly-matched game of the season, splitting face-offs, time of possession and penalty time evenly.

"We've been working for three years for this one day," Ketcham said. "It's been a lot of hard work, but we had an amazing season"

In a losing effort, senior goalie Kevin Wiederin saved nine shots and Killen scored two goals to lead Creighton Prep (9-5). Wiederin turned in another stellar performance between the pipes and kept Prep alive with save after save.

"It was a tough game, and they're a great team," Wiederin said. "It's tough to go out like this."