BYU's second-seeded Cougars advanced to the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association national tournament semifinals with a hard-fought 9-8 win over Florida State on Wednesday at Denver.
The Cougars (14-3) jumped out to an early 3-0 first-quarter lead, but the second quarter belonged to FSU. A last-second goal, officially scored as time expired, brought FSU within one at 4-3 at the half.
In the third quarter, FSU tied the score at 4-4, but BYU came back with four straight goals to pull ahead 8-4 with just over six minutes to play. Although BYU seemed in control of the game, FSU battled back with three goals to trail by a single goal, 8-7, with 1:39 remaining.
BYU junior Elliot Grow scored the Cougars' final goal — Grow's third of the game — with 43 seconds left. BYU, the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference champion, advances to today's semifinals to face No. 3 seed Chapman. The game will be televised nationally on Fox College Sports Atlantic at 5 p.m.
SUU GOLFER IN CONTENTION AT REGIONAL: Southern Utah's Nate Page shot one over par 73 Thursday and sits in a tie for 11th place after the first round of the NCAA South Central Regional, being played at the par 72, 7,410-yard Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla.
Page was seven shots off the pace of South Dakota State's Trent Peterson, who shot 67 and holds a three-stroke lead over LSU's John Peterson heading into Friday's second round.
"Nate played well today, but (Peterson) had a great round," SUU Coach Richard Church said.
BYU'S JOHNSON TIED FOR THIRD:Brady Johnson and Robbie Fillmore are off to a good start at the NCAA West Regional in hopes of advancing to the NCAA Finals.
The two are competing as individual golfers at the par-72 Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City with Johnson currently tied for third place overall at 5-under-par 67 and Fillmore close behind at even-par in a 17-way tie for 20th place.
"The guys played great today," said BYU assistant coach Todd Miller. "Any time you shoot even-par or better on a quality golf course like this, you know you had a pretty good day."
SLCC WINS OPENER AT NATIONALS: Third-seed Salt Lake Community College erupted for six runs in the fifth inning en route to an 8-0 five-inning victory over Otero Junior College in the opening game of the 2009 NJCAA National Championship softball tournament Thursday at the Canyons Complex in St. George.
SLCC will advance to play Seminole State CC in the championship bracket today at 8 p.m.
SLCC starter Sarah Clark struck out seven while allowing only two hits in five innings, while the Jordyn McDonald and Shaynie Phillips each drove in two runs to pace the Bruin offense.