Salt Lake City – The same story has been written year after year "Colorado Mesa Men's Lacrosse wins the RMAC championship!' This year had a different title to it and it starts with a game winning goal in overtime. The Westminster Griffins evened the game late in regulation and then saw Chance Beutler secure the championship in overtime with 28 seconds to play as the Westminster Griffins win their first RMAC Championship.
 
It's been a long four years for Westminster as year after year they have came up just short in the conference championship game.
 
Despite scoring six of the first eight goals in the first half of play the Griffins found themselves down 8-6 in the final nine minutes of action as the same story as the past four years was nearly written. At the 8:14 mark in the fourth period Blake Gross helped bring down the lead to one, but as the time was ticking away with2:06 Nick Marcy scored a wild game tying goal to even the championship game at 8.
 
"It was really exciting," Senior Captain Grant Phillips said.  "With 10 minutes left we were down by two and I looked at both of my defenders and said, 'Ten minutes—Three goals—We've got this.  I believe in you guys.'"
 
The game started off in the Griffins favor as Harrison Nye scored the opening goal 63 seconds after the first face-off. Quickly after that Colorado Mesa scored back to back goals to get their first lead of the game at 9:33. The next five goals were all scored by Westminster as Blake Gross added two, Nick Marcy, Kolton Atkinson and Spencer Whinery all added one of their own before the first half ended. Despite two late goals by Matt Funkhouser and Joe Wulforst Iv Griffins went into halftime lead 6-4.
 
In the second half it was all Mavericks who came out with a dominating defensive performance that the Griffins couldn't figure out as they shut-out the Griffins for nearly 35 minutes and made a 6-0 run for a two-point lead, 8-6.

Junior goalie Sean Edwards came up big, during the team's goal drought, making 11 of his 18 saves during to give the Griffins a chance for a late comeback and the overtime win.

The momentum began to swing and the home supporters began to raise the volume after junior Blake Gross scored with 8:45 left in the period.

Colorado Mesa goalie Nick Wilson turned Dylan Brauer's shot away but foul by the Mavericks gave possession back to Westminster for a second chance to level the score with the clock ticking down. With a little over two minutes remaining, Brauer wandered behind the goal and passed to junior Nick Marcy who calmly scored with a behind-the-back shot from the right corner of the goal.

The Mavericks, with a minute left and a new shot clock, opted for an early shot instead of taking the last shot of overtime, a decision that proved costly.  Sophomore Kyle Williams picked up the ground ball after senior Cole Flinders cut in front of the goal to block the shot.  Williams raced up the field, passed to sophomore Chance Beutler who shot from distance, beating Wilson in the low left corner for the game winner.
 
The strength of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference was shown in the Championship game.  For the fourth time since men's lacrosse was introduced in the RMAC (2016), it has been a battle between the Griffins and the Mavericks. These two teams have had amazing games against each other and today was no different.
 
"Mesa has been fantastic," Head Coach Mason Goodhand said.  "They have been the standard setter since we've been in this league and they caused us to raise our game just one notch higher today."
 
The Historic season will officially come to an end, but what a journey it's been for the Westminster Griffins who will end the conference season perfect with no losses and a championship trophy which reads 2019 Rocky Athletic Conference Champions!