LADUE • Rockhurst dropped two flash bombs on MICDS. One at the start of its contest on Thursday and the other at the end.
If there was any doubt, the Hawklets showed why they are still the team to beat in the state, winning 9-6. Rockhurst, the defending state champion, improved to 13-2 with its only losses coming from out-of-state competition.
"We were looking forward to tonight. This is always one of our favorite games of the year and I think we will see them again in the championship," Rockhurst coach Jay Coleman said. "They're clearly the best team we have seen so far."
The Rams got a big afternoon from junior Mac Cornwell, who netted four goals including the go-ahead goal with little over 10 minutes to play in the fourth period.
With the lead, MICDS dictated possession until the waves of Hawklets finally wore through. Charlie Ferber and Peter Muehleback scored back-to-back goals in a span of 40 seconds as Rockhurst went back up 7-6 with 4:17 to play.
Junior Kevin White made it a two-goal advantage at the 3:30 mark.
"Sometimes we can run them out of gas a little bit," Coleman said. "I can throw more bodies at them and that is huge."
Senior Tucker Sanders-Lyle and William Moorehead also scored for MICDS.
Muehleback finished with three goals, including an electrifying score off the opening facoff a mere 11 seconds into the game.
Rockhurst senior Joseph Connor also scored three goals in the win.
"A lot of their defense played the entire game," Muehleback said. "I could tell toward the end I got a couple of cuts to the middle and their feet were tired and I was able to get ahead of them."
Rockhurst will be back in town on April 26 at DeSmet.
"Our guys stepped up when they needed to tonight," Coleman said. "As many trips as we make to St. Louis sometimes it just doesn't happen right away."
