The number one ranked team in Division II lacrosse, the Forest Hills Central Rangers, squared off against the number two ranked East Grand Rapids Pioneers yesterday in a late night thriller. Battling back and forth for four quarters, the Rangers prevailed victorious with a final score of 14-13.

Jumping out of the gate quickly, the Rangers unleashed a scoring barrage, with a combined five goals coming from sophomore Bryce Clay and junior Jack Uecker. They dominated the first quarter, holding a significant lead early.
“We jumped on them early with some key play,” head coach Jake Seiler said, “It was a nice confidence boost for our guys, knowing we could put the ball in the back of the net.”
Throughout the second quarter, the Pioneers began to mount a comeback. Leading the charge for East Grand Rapids were seniors Ben Keller and Andrew Hubble. As the second quarter came to a close, the Rangers lead had narrowed, as the scoreboard now read 7-5.
Coming out of halftime strong, the Pioneers pushed offensively and evened the score at seven a piece. The score stayed at a deadlock for quite awhile, but nearing the end of the third, Bryce Clay put the Rangers back on top. Several lead changes occurred throughout the entirety of the second half.
“It was a hard fought game, with both teams giving it all and battling back and forth,” Clay said.
With only minutes to go, the Rangers had managed to push their lead to four goals. The Pioneers, unwilling to give in, began an all out assault on the Ranger’s defensive unit. With only 1:30 remaining the Pioneers had managed to push across three quick goals to lessen the scoring deficit to one. Eventually, the Ranger’s managed to hold off the Pioneer attack, coming out on top.

In the end, the Rangers prevailed, and gained validation for being ranked number one in men’s Division II lacrosse.

“East played a great game, they’re a very competitive team,” Seiler said. “At the end of the day, our guys executed and we came out ahead.”

Bryce Clay – 8 goals, Jack Uecker – 3 goals, Max Kuiper – 1 goal, Tate Hallock – 1 goal, Luke Majick – 1 goal