Last-Second Goal Lifts Pope

’s Zack Powers played the role of hero Tuesday when he scored with 10.7 seconds remaining in the semifinals of the GHSA A-AAAA state lacrosse playoffs against the visiting . The goal, his third of the game, gave Pope the lead and the victory, 9-8.

“We kind of put something together real quick and worked it around while they looked for me at the top,” Powers said. “It worked.”

Powers wasn’t the only standout player in the fourth quarter. All-American goalkeeper Matthew Sommerfeldt made four saves in the first 3 1/2 minutes of the quarter, including a short-range barrage by the Lions.

“He stops everything,” Pope head coach Carl Pfaff said. “We gave them a few chances right on the doorstep, but he got in there. He also stopped a bunch down the line. He’s amazing; that’s why he’s an All-American.”

The Greyhounds started slowly as the Lions took a three-goal lead in the first half. Their defense allowed one-on-one opportunities against Sommerfeldt, while the offense couldn’t seem to find the open man, leading to turnovers.

The Greyhounds cut Lovett’s lead to two by halftime, 6-4.

The second half was a different story. Led by All-American defenseman Daniel Maples, as well as Sommerfeldt, the Pope defense allowed only two goals in the second half, which gave the offense a chance to chip away at the Lions’ lead.

After bringing the game to within one goal at the end of the third quarter, Pope attacker Brayton Wadella scored one of his three goals to tie the game, 7-7.

The two teams traded fourth-quarter goals before Pfaff took his team’s final timeout with 46 seconds remaining in the game. During the timeout, he constructed the final play of the game, the one Powers and his Greyhound teammates will long remember.

Patrick Ammons, Corbin Jenson, and Holland Frost each scored a goal for Pope. Jenson also had an assist, while Bryant Gray had two assists.

The Greyhounds will play Lambert Saturday in the GHSA championship game.