thanks to Joseph Bellando for submitting this game recap   FHSAA Boys Lacrosse District 31 players and fans were in for a real treat this Tuesday, April 7th as the games took place at one of the best stadiums in Miami, Belen Jesuit’s De La Cruz Stadium.   In the first game of the day, the number two seed Gulliver Preparatory School took on the number three seed, Ransom Everglades School.  Gulliver came out quick and jumped on Ransom for a 5-1 lead early in the game.  The bright, sunny day and its heat took a toll on both teams in the second quarter.  Gulliver extended their lead with a few goals but Ransom mustered up an answer as the game went into the half 8-2.  It was after this point that Gulliver caught its groove.  Multiple players put up points in the third and Ransom did not have an answer for it.  The third quarter ended 14-4.  The seniors of Ransom gave it their all in the fourth and the play became quite competitive.  Unfortunately it was not enough and the final score ended up Guliver 16, Ransom 6. Gulliver Goals: #16 Enrique Falla (3), #20 CJ Hassan (3), #1 Fran Tonarely (3), #2 Walker Gautier (2), #14 Trevor Pelletier (2), #7 Dominic Benitez (1), #22 Alex Balli (1), #4 Logan Pathman Ransom Goals: #3 Nic Murphy (2), #8 Tucker Cina (1), #6 Alex Fuster (1), #18 Declan Cummiskey (1), #17 Eddie Garcia-Montes (1)   The second game of the day between #1 seeded Christopher Columbus Catholic and #4 seeded Belen Jesuit Preparatory was filled with energy, passion, and everything else you can imagine such a heated rivalry would contain.  Belen Jesuit set the tempo early, neutralizing Columbus’s fast paced offense and keeping CC off balance.  Their tactics seemed to pay off as Belen Jesuit lead 1-0 at the end of the first quarter. After going down 2-0, Columbus found an answer and was able to get on the board. It was at this point that the Wolverines dug deep to stay the course, showing their tenacity as they went into the half up 3-1.  Not many shots were taken up to this point but the Belen Jesuit goalie was hot and made many tough saves to keep the score in his team’s favor. The third quarter was another showing of strong defense as both teams only were able to sneak in a goal each. The third ended 4-2 with Belen Jesuit ahead of the three time district champions. The atmosphere at the beginning of the Fourth quarter was electric. The stadium was filled with roaring fans, the teams were playing with fierce determination, and the sun was peeking out after a light rain had subsided.  Belen scored quickly to make the game 5-2 and this is when the game got more exciting.  The Columbus faceoff midfielder won three straight in which the team was able to fight for three goals, tying the game at 5-5.  It was at this critical junction that Belen Jesuit’s #21 Danny Dager scored his third of the day, a quick-stick goal on the doorstep of the crease.  After going into a victory formation, Belen’s midfield makes a mistake and turned the ball over, getting a penalty at the same time.  Columbus capitalized on the mistake quickly and slotted one in the back of the net while man-up with 40 seconds remaining.  Belen won the face-off and the ball ended up the stick of an uncovered #9 Michel Abud in the middle of the field who slid in the dagger with four seconds remaining. Belen Jesuit hands Columbus their first loss to a Miami team in five years.  History had been made.  7-6 Final Score. Gulliver Prep will face Belen Jesuit for the District 31 Championship Thursday, April 9th 5:00 at Belen Jesuit Preparatory.  $6.00 FHSAA Admission Columbus Goals: #8 Alex Gonzalez (3), #4 Danny Cicarelli (1), #6 Mike Perry (1), #23 Andrew Romagosa (1) Belen Jesuit Goals: #21 Daniel Dager (3), #23 Gabriel Garcia (2), #3 Brian Pasqual (1), #9 Michel Abud (1)