Bell's OT winner lifts Oaks Christian boys lacrosse team to its first CIF-SS title

Jensen Bell scored the sudden-death goal in overtime to lift Oaks Christian boys lacrosse team to its first CIF-Southern Section championship Friday afternoon.

Bell and Lawson Spruill scored two goals apiece as the top-seeded Lions came from behind to edge Sherman Oaks-Notre Dame, 6-5, in the Division 3 final at El Modena High in Orange.

“We knew there was going to be ups and downs,” said Oaks Christian coach Geoff Seabold. “The boys just hung tough.

“I was just happy for them. They went crazy after Jenson scored. That was cool.”

There was plenty of heroism to go around in the dramatic victory.

Daniel Schultz tied the game with 54 seconds left to force overtime and goaltender Matteo Conway made a huge save with the Lions down a man to open the extra session.

“Never quit effort from my boys,” Sebold said.

The game was a rematch of Oaks Christian’s 12-11 win in the second game of the season on Feb. 16.

Oaks Christian (14-6) jumped out to a three-goal lead in the first quarter, with Bell’s goal making it 3-0 with 2:52 left in the quarter.

“I felt pretty confident most of the time that we were going to pull it out,” said Sebold. “The second and third quarters, we played sloppy and let them back in the game.”

Down 3-1 at the half, Notre Dame chipped away at the deficit, tying the game 3-3 with 6:11 left in the third quarter and taking a 4-3 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Spruill found the net to tie the score 4-4 with 9:32, setting up the dramatic finish.

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The title completes a three-year post-COVID rebound for the program

“When we started after COVID, we started at the bottom and built it up from there,” Sebold said. “It’s been three years coming. We got it to where we wanted to.”

Division 2

Dylan Jotkowitz had four goals and Gavid Dyet had three goals, but the Agoura High boys lacrosse team fell to Mira Costa 11-10 in the CIF-SS Division 2 championship Friday night in Orange.

Gavin Horowitz won 17 of 22 faceoffs for Agoura (16-4), which had won nine of its last 10 games entering the final.

"Tough loss," said Agoura coach Matt Horowitz.

More: St. Bonaventure and Agoura slug their way to Saturday's CIF-Southern Section semifinals

Agoura trailed 7-6 at the half, but pulled even 9-9 after three quarters after Brady Russ tied the score.

Agoura's Alex Suski tied the game 10-10 with 6:45 to play.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: OT goal gives Oaks Christian boys lacrosse team its first CIF-SS title